|
 The
Space Race was one of the most significant geopolitical and scientific
competitions of the 20th century, driven by the rivalry between the United
States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It spanned from the late 1940s
through the 1970s, with a focus on achieving superiority in space exploration, a
domain viewed as critical not only for scientific advancement but also for
military and strategic dominance. Rooted in rocket technology developed during
World War II, the Space Race transformed the world's understanding of science
and technology, culminating in the most dramatic achievement: the landing of
humans on the Moon in 1969. This treatise explores the key milestones, the
countries and key players involved, technological developments, the interplay
between military...
 This article appeared in the November 2024
issue of Astronomy magazine - not sure why. "Brothers is a place that has
somehow slipped outside the passage of time. Located in a sea of sagebrush in central
Oregon, this former stagecoach stopover once serviced horse-drawn migrants bound
for the Willamette Valley. Thanks to the nonprofit organization
OregonRocketry, Brothers has outlasted the surrounding ghost towns to find new
purpose as one of the preeminent high-power rocket launch sites in America. The
group has purchased land and established a site out here in coyote country for the
advancement of amateur rocketry and education of future aerospace engineers. They
have a waiver from the FAA that currently allows them to blast the things nearly
four miles into the air..."
 "Japanese
operator SoftBank announced that the Sunglaider, its large-scale solar-powered uncrewed
aircraft system (UAS) designed for
High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric telecommunications, was
utilized in a field trial conducted by AeroVironment and the U.S. DoD in New Mexico,
the U.S. During the trial, carried out in early August, Sunglider succeeded in achieving
stratospheric flight, the Japanese operator said. With a wingspan of 78 meters and
the capability to carry payloads weighing up to 75kg, the Sunglider is larger than
other publicly announced HAPS UAS..."
 The
Cessna
Skymaster (336/337) has always been my favorite twin-engined civilian lightplane.
A military version of it is designated as the O-2 Skymaster. For as long as I can
remember, I have threatened to build a control-line model of one. Well, that time
has finally arrived, and I began by ordering these plans from the AMA Plans Service.
It will be powered by a pair of 480-sized brushless motors, and throttle will be
controlled by a hand-held car/boat format transmitter, the one I use on my control-line
Douglas DC-3. I am modifying the fuselage construction to accommodate the motors,
and am adding formers to simplify the building process. Mr. Welch's original omitted
formers in the cabin area...
 Fox model airplane engines had a reputation
for ruggedness and contest-winning performance, but were also notoriously difficult
to get started - at least without an electric starter. In 1961, when this full-page
advertisement appeared in American Modeler magazine, electric starters
were not in many modelers' field boxes, and particularly those owned by youngsters
whose modeling budget came from meager allowances and paper routes. Born in 1958,
I was 15 or 16 years old before being able to afford the luxury, and I remember
relentlessly flipping the propellers on my
Fox 15 and Fox 35 control line engines. Half the time when they...
 If you have ever wanted to try your hand
(thumbs, to be more specific) at a floatplane, then this
1/2A size Aeronca
Champion which appeared in the March 1957 issue of Model Airplane News magazine,
is just the ticket. Although designed by Walt Mooney as a free flight ROW (rise-off-water)
model that easily converts between wheels and floats, modifications to 3 or 4 channel
radio control would be a snap, especially since the plans show separate construction
for the control surfaces along the hinge line. With about a 46" wingspan and lightweight
but strong construction, this model could easily have been designed with modern
electric power...
 I did a quick Web search on how to
repair damaged book bindings, and as is typical, most of what is out there is
a rewritten regurgitation of other pages. Tape and glue are the order of the day
per those instructions, but that is really insufficient to effect a good repair
on books - particularly older volumes - which use string and fabric along the spine
to form a very rugged and durable binding for standing up to repeated use. When
you desire to restore a book to as close to its original condition as possible,
the more extensive method described in this 1965 Popular Mechanics magazine article
is needed. All the tools and materials required are described, as is instructions
for assembling a book...
 "Rohde &
Schwarz has been at the forefront of addressing the evolving threats posed by advanced
drone technology to security, public safety, and critical infrastructure. As drones
become more sophisticated and complex, malicious drones equipped with advanced capabilities
present significant challenges. To counter these threats, Rohde & Schwarz has
developed cutting-edge
Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) designed to detect, neutralize, and mitigate
emerging drone risks effectively. In a recent interview, Martin Woywod, Product
Manager for Counter-UAS Systems at Rohde & Schwarz, explained the urgency of
counter-drone technology in today's world..."
 Airplanes and Rockets website visitor Lars
B. wrote from Sweden requesting that I scan this "Wind Flying" article
from the September 1972 edition of American Aircraft Modeler magazine.
It describes a method for replacing engines and motors with human power for preforming
some pretty impressive C/L aerobatics on windy days. Basically, you drag the model
airplane around on its control lines, which often required not just turning in a
circle while standing in one place, but walking around a small circle in order to
get more speed. If there is any wind, you need to put extra effort into the pulling
when moving into the wind. I can remember doing this as a teenager, only I did it
with the engine in place but not...
• FCC Rules for
5 GHz Band Drone Operations
•
EAA Weighs in on MOSAIC
• Smithsonian
Opens Hangar Doors to Pilots
• EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 July 22-28
• The Smallest
Air Force One
 Post World War II was a big time for
model building and operating. Veterans and their families helped relieve the stress
and anxieties of the era with both scale and original design
model boats, cars, trains,
submarines, motorcycles helicopters, airplanes, tanks, even oddities like bicycles,
farm equipment, carnival layouts, animals, and historic buildings (of which
many of those appeared in model train layouts). The level of artistry and craftsmanship
was impressive, particularly considering the sparsity of pre-made miniature accoutrements
like hardware fittings, mechanisms for operating control surfaces and mechanisms,
and even appropriate finishes. Radio control was in its infancy, being largely the
realm of modelers with knowledge...
 Website visitor Steve R. wrote requesting
that I scan and post this "Square Hare" article from the September 1962 issue of
American Modeler magazine. Says, Steve, "I built one of these back then
on Galloping ghost and it went great till servo failed (modified mighty Midget motor).
Later I built another for Class one Aerobatics fitted with OS 40 and Kraft Propo,
this was very successful. Nostalgia strikes and I'd like to build another as a sport
model." Square Hare from Delaware is a bit unique in that its wing has no spar and
is constructed from diagonally arranged ribs sandwiched between 3/32" balsa sheeting.
Looking at all the hardware required just for the elevator control really makes
you appreciate modern radio gear with servos. Hopefully, Steve will grace us with
a photo of his completed Square Hare.
 "On September 9, the House of Representatives
passed H.R.2864: the
Countering CCP Drones Act. This would add future equipment made by DJI technologies
to the FCC's Covered List on the premise that it poses a risk to U.S. national security.
The Countering CCP Drones Act would essentially ban UAS and related tech produced
by DJI from operating on U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. This trails several
'inaccurate and unsubstantiated' claims against the company regarding sensitive
data sharing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This would not directly affect
customers, at least for now, though it is guaranteed to have a massive effect on
DJI's..."
 I had no idea that there were multiple versions
of the Ford Trimotor
(aka Tin Goose). This article from an 1962 edition of American Modeler
magazine provides a fairly in-depth look at the history of the airplane. If you
follow politics at all, you know that Halliburton is a name that became a household
word when George Bush chose Dick Cheney as his vice president. According to author
Joe Christy, SAFE-way airline, which operated Ford Trimotors, was started by Oklahoma
oilman Erle Halliburton, and was sold to TWA (Trans World Airline) in 1931. In an
incredible stroke of good fortune, Melanie and I were able to take a ride in a Ford
Trimotor in the summer of 2013, flying out of Erie International Airport (see my
Ford Trimotor video)...
 The
1955 Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) National Model Airplane Championships,
held at the Los Alamitos, California, Naval Air Station was by all measures a smashing
success - "the best run Nationals competition in history." Extensive coverage of
the event appeared in the Annual Edition of Air Trails magazine. Free flight
and control line model airplanes were there, but no radio control types attended;
the technology was not yet within reach of enough hobbyists to warrant inclusion.
A look at the photos makes evident the amazing quality and variation of models,
both scale and non-scale. Take a look at the F4U Corsair with the folding wings,
the Ford Trimotor, Fairchild C-119, and the Fokker DR-1 triplane. Speaking of quality
models, two of the feminine kind were on-hand to award trophies. Hillevi Rombin,
Miss Universe of 1955, and movie starlet Marla English, are pictured with two lucky
winners..
 Ummm... was this really a "space walk?"
If so, then I "sky walked" when I climbed to the top of my 6-foot wooden ladder
yesterday. "The world's first commercial space walk, performed by billionaire
Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, tested new technology and was practically
flawless. It wasn't a small step - more a clamber, really - but as billionaire entrepreneur
Jared Isaacman
climbed partway out of a SpaceX Dragon capsule located nearly 740 kilometers
above Earth on early Thursday morning, he made a giant leap into spaceflight history.
That's because Isaacman is a private citizen who is flying in a commercial spacecraft
on a voyage he paid for - not a government-agency...
 Here are plans for the
Boeing B&W 1916
Biplane that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy of the March 1965
Model Airplane News magazine. When I have more time, I will dig the magazine
out of storage and scan/OCR the rest of the article. For now you can at least review
the plans. Click on the images for larger versions. I have even large files for
them at the original 200 dpi resolution. Designed and built by Mr. Francis Reynolds.
Plans for this fine model were drawn by Mr. Ray Vinup. All copyrights (if any) are
hereby acknowledged. "The Boeing Model 1, also known as the B & W Seaplane,
was a United States single-engine biplane seaplane aircraft. It was the first Boeing
product and carried the initials..."
 When building my Enterprise-E control stunt
airplane, I knew that the amount of control surface throw available for both flaps
and elevator was extreme, but I wanted to have the reserve capability in case it
was needed. It was definitely NOT needed! Fortunately, because of the way the top
fuselage hatch is designed for removal there is easy access to the flap control
horn, and thereby the ability to move pushrod clevises around to decrease throws.
Even with doing that, however, the model is still very sensitive to control line
handle movements. My only solution was to obtain a
control line handle with
line spacing less than the 4-1/4" on the stock Sullivan handle. That spacing has
been a little too much for other models as well, so an alternate handle would be
nice anyway...
 I received a lot of feedback after first
posting this piece on how to straighten cupped
and/or bowed laminated countertops. That was a couple years ago. Since I continue
to see severely deformed countertops in Lowes and Home Depot, it is worth brining
attention to it again. You might be able to get a really good deal on the otherwise
unsellable laminated countertops, then use my easy method for nearly perfectly flattening
them. Al that is required is sawing a cross-hatch pattern part-way through the bottom
surface, and then screwing, gluing, and clamping them whilst being held flat. The
wood around the outside edge serves as the space normally placed between the top
of the lower cabinet base and the countertop. Tyr it. You'll like it!
 "Gotonomi,
a UAV satellite connectivity solutions provider, has announced the completion of
further successful flight trials and the opening of orders for production units
of all variants of its
UAV satcom terminals at Commercial UAV Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. The launch marks
a significant milestone, transitioning from pre-production flight development kits
to type-approved, commercial terminals, enabling scalable beyond visual line of
sight operations (BVLOS) for drone operators wishing to offer inspection, surveillance,
and delivery services. Following extensive verification testing, including flight
trials..."
 When I first saw this "U-Control
Model Plane" article in a 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine,
I expected it to have been written by one of the Stanzel brothers. Long after their
entry into the model airplane manufacturing world, Joe and Victor created their
line of battery-powered, electric motor-driven control line models in 1958. It eventually
included a helicopter, a monoplane, and a flying saucer, amongst other craft. The
Stanzels, BTW, invented the Monoline control line system which was adopted by U-control
(aka control line) speed modelers because it created much less aerodynamic drag,
facilitating higher airspeeds. Maybe this article was a motivation for the Stanzels...
 Another of Melanie's family's relics is
this pine clothes chest.
After more than 100 years of use and abuse, this chest was in dire need of restoration.
Construction is very low density pine, with dovetailed corners. Finish was a clear
varnish with no stain. The bottom, back, and inside had no finish at all. Restoration
consisted of knocking apart and re-gluing most joints, sanding, and filling in the
multiple dings and scratches where they were really deep. Minor imperfections were
kept for the sake of character. Minwax dark walnut stain was used inside and out,
and allowed to dry for a week. Then, two coats of Deft satin clear were brushed
on with 320 sanding and 0000 steel wool between coats...
 "The SETI Institute, in collaboration with
the Berkeley SETI Research Center and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy
Research, has initiated a pioneering study using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)
in Western Australia. Led by Dr. Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute and Prof.
Steven Tingay of Curtin University, this research marks the first
search for alien technology in galaxies beyond our own, specifically targeting
low radio frequencies (100 MHz). The MWA's extensive field of view (FOV) allowed
the research team to examine approximately 2,800 galaxies in a single observation,
with known distances for 1,300 of these galaxies..."
 This report of the
1962 (16th) British
Nationals appeared in the 1963 Annular edition of American Modeler
modeler, which I believe was published in January of 1963. Just as back in the day,
the U.S. Nationals were held on a military installation (U.S. Navy sponsorship),
the British Nats were held at Barkston Heath R.A.F. station. Although technically
it was an international event, it appears that Brits and Yanks were the only competitors
- or at least the only ones mentioned. See anyone you know?
 When
Dyna-Jet engine in new or like-new condition is listed for sale or auction on
eBay, it usually sells for north of $500. Sometimes buyers get lucky and win an
auction for less. This 1946 Popular Science magazine article entitled "Baby V-1
Flies for Fun" appeared just a year after Germany had surrendered unconditionally.
Only a year before that, Londoners ran for cover in underground shelters when V-1
"Buzz Bombs" were heard making their tell-tale 45 Hz "buzz" noise as they made
their way toward England. "V-1" was from the German Vergeltungswaffe 1 meaning
"Vengeance Weapon 1." The only reference to a "robomb" I see other than this
article is from a 1944 issue of Time magazines entitled, "Science: How the Robomb
Works." As Paul Harvey would famously say, "Now you know... the Rest of the story."
 SpaceX
and Blue Origin have been in the news for the last decade for their efforts (some
successful, some not) to
autonomously land a spacecraft vertically under its own power. Love it or hate
it, NASA has been doing that for nearly six decades. Granted, it was on celestial
bodies with lower gravitational acceleration than on Earth, but the earliest craft
(Surveyor 1, 1966) had relatively crude electronics aboard, including a Doppler
radar, flight computer, and video camera. The now legendary Apollo Guidance Computer
has been written about extensively, and is a testimony to the brilliance of the
scientists, engineers, managers, operators, and technicians who built and flew it.
Articles like this one in the May 1967 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine...
 I am not aware of the origin of this matrix,
but it is a very useful tool for determining whether certain
filler
materials and finish chemistries are compatible or, equally important, incompatible.
It was included in the July 2012 edition of the Bean Hill Flyers control-line club
newsletter. This might save somebody the grief and angst from applying a finish
over a base that will cause it to bubble, peel, blister, or not ever dry. One important
point this chart indicates is that you can apply butyrate dope over nitrate dope,
but you CANNOT apply nitrate dope over butyrate dope. There might be other instances
of one-way compatibilities, but if you are not sure, do a test first or avoid the
deadly combination altogether. You also need to verify compatibility of the various
rattle can...
 According to Guiness World Records, the
current holder of the record for the
fastest model car is the "Radio Controlled Bullet," by Nic Case, having achieved
a speed of 202.02 mph (325.12 km/h), in 2014. In 2019, Estonian Ando Rohtmets set
the tethered model car speed record of 215.92 mph (347.490 kmph). All
modern speed records are set using electric motor power, unlike these models reported
on in a 1948 issue of Popular Science magazine which used liquid fuel and
internal combustion engines (ICE). However, not all of those ICE powerplants had
pistons. Mr. Frank Brennan showed up with a DynaJet-powered model car, purportedly
fashioned after the Nazi V-1 "Buzz Bomb" (remember this was only a couple years
past...
 The
Eclipse is a gigantic radio-controlled
sailplane model with a 16-foot wingspan, geodesic ribs construction, and "V" tail
configuration. It is built up from balsa, plywood, spruce, and a fiberglass tail
boom. I remember first seeing the model on the cover of the October 1974 issue of
American Aircraft Modeler magazine, and really wanting to build one. Unfortunately,
I was only 16 years old at the time and was barely able to afford control line models,
let alone a huge RC sailplane. Of course with the cost of balsa today, it is no
more affordable now as then. It probably takes four rolls of Monokote to cover!
Here are plans for the Eclipse that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy
AAM. You might be able to scale up the image...
 The Estes
Saturn 1B rocket is another model that I really wanted to have as a kid,
but just didn't have the money. In those days, I launched everything that I built,
so I could not see spending a huge amount of my paper route money only to take the
risk of destruction due to the parachutes not deploying properly or maybe an engine
malfunction. I had launched enough rockets to know that the probability of something
going wrong was directly proportional to the cost and time spent building. Instead,
I stuck mostly with models that cost no more than about $3 (in 1960s-1970s dollars).
This Saturn 1B model has long been in my rocket building queue, but decade
passed before I felt justified spending the money and time to buy and build one.
The Saturn 1B was one of the Saturn V's predecessors and was used as the
launch vehicle for the first few Apollo missions...
 Jetex "rocket" motors were quite popular
during the 1940s through the 1970s. Their debut in the modeling world was in 1948,
per the Jetex.org website. Unlike Estes rocket engines that used combustion to generate
a high velocity ejection stream, Jetex fuel pellets merely "burned" at a constant
rate while the exhaust was forced through a small orifice in the engine's metal
housing (casing). Also unlike Estes engines, the Jetex casing was reusable and re-fuelable.
Half a dozen or so sizes and thrust levels eventually were produced. I had a couple
of the Jetex 50 engines that got strapped to Guillows balsa gliders and, to
some degree, were made to fly in jet-like fashion...
 Infographics are a big thing (literally)
in the business and science world, although they do seem to have passed their prime.
Well-done infographics typically have the form of a high aspect ratio drawing that
presents a detailed timeline or process flow of events or concepts. The progress
can run top to bottom or bottom to top, depending on the creator's intentions. This
particular infographic, produced by the BBC's "Great Turning
Points" series, outlines the major milestones in development of flying machines
beginning with the Wright Flyer in 1903 and progressing through both manned and
unmanned airplanes up through the U.S...
|
 Website visitor Mark Radcliff (yes, THE
Mark Radcliff, of 75-77-79-81 USA F3a RC Aerobatic Team fame, and until recently,
VP of that AMA's District III) wrote to request that I scan the article for
Steve Wooley's control
line Argus, which, appeared in the August 1961 American Modeler magazine. The
Argus was the star of the 1960 world championships in Hungary. Note the unique wing
construction where rather than using full ribs, upper and lower outlines are used
that sit over and under the beefy solid wing spar. The entire article is very short...
 Here is yet another of Walter M. Jefferies,
Jr.'s inked masterpieces as it appeared in the July 1954 issue of Air Trails
- Hobbies for Young Men magazine. This 4-view drawing of the experimental
Douglas XF4D−1
Skyray reveals many details of airframe components, fuselage cross-sections,
and panel lines. Per Wikipedia: The Douglas F4D Skyray (later redesignated F-6 Skyray)
is an American carrier-based fighter/interceptor built by the Douglas Aircraft Company.
Although it was in service for a relatively short time (1956–1964) and never entered
combat, it was the first carrier-launched aircraft to hold the world's absolute
speed record, at 752.943 mph, and was the first United States Navy and United States
Marine Corps fighter that could exceed Mach 1 in level flight. It was the last fighter
produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company before...
 Slot car racing used to be a big deal back
before battery-powered radio control cars became inexpensive and readily available.
Many hobby shops, including one I used to frequent in Laurel, Maryland, had slot
car tracks set up for patrons to use. I think we paid something like a dollar for
half an hour. You could either bring your own car, or rent one from the hobby shop.
As with any activity, certain stereotypes are created and stick with slot car racers
and their creations. This set of comics from the September/October 1963 edition
of American Modeler magazine documents some of those things...
 Yes,
this is another article that will probably appeal to a small percentage of RF Cafe
visitors, but please countenance my indulgence in things aeronautical as well as
things electrical. The early 1930s was a time when both
airplanes and electronics were a wonder and a mystery to most of the public
worldwide. Of course today both are still a mystery to the public but the wonder
is gone - it's merely taken for granted. Many idiosyncrasies of airborne electronic
communications were encountered for the first time, like the need for proper grounding
and static electricity dissipation. Ruggedization of chassis assemblies in terms
of mechanical vibration and shock as well as for temperature extremes was a real
challenge to engineers, technicians, and pilots...
 This article for the rubber-powered free
flight Penni Helicopter,
by John Burkam and Gene Rock, was scanned from my purchased copy of the January
1970 American Aircraft Modeler magazine. The Penni Helicopter is fairly unique in
that it has a functional tail rotor to counter the main rotor torque rather than
just a big flat vertical surface. It also features a flybar on the rotor head to
help stabilize flight. Main rotor span is 16 inches. Because the plans spanned two
pages, I had to adjust the size and alignment a bit to get halves to line up properly.
The AMA Plans Service does not carry the Penni Helicopter, so if you need a larger
version, e-mail me and I will send you a 4.5 x 3.0 kpixel version. You should be
able to scale up the image below, though...
 Website visitor David S., who wrote
a while back to let me know about the line of Atlantis Models* re−manufactured vintage
plastic kits, recently sent these photos of his amazing collection of
model airplanes and rockets.
As you can seem, most of the airplanes are rubber-powered free-flight. A few electric-powered
R/C models are hangared in the garage over the door (a good use of the space). Let's
see, for airplanes I spy a P−47 Thunderbolt, an L−4 Grasshopper, a J−3 (or maybe
a J−5) Cub, a couple P−51 Mustangs, A Focke-Wulf, a Beechcraft Bonanza, a Supermarine
Spitfire (or two), a Sopwith Camel, a Fairchild something-or-other, a P−40 Warhawk,
and a Stearman PT−17. In the rocket category is an Estes Mars Lander, an Alpha (of
course), a Gyroc, an Honest John, an Aerobee, a Big Bertha, and an Avenger. How
many can you identify? David didn't mention whether he flies the free-flight models
and rockets or if they're primarily hangar queens...
 Some 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)...
 Here is a short story about French flying
ace Pierre Clostermann who, after his country capitulated to the German Wehrmacht,
went to England to fly for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It appeared in the March 1962
issue of American Modeler magazine. His service for the French resistance
was spent downing German Focke-Wulfs, Junkers, and Messerschmitts - 23 confirmed
kills, 5 "probables," and 30 aircraft damaged. His fabled aircraft was a
Hawker
Tempest, sister craft to the beautiful Hawker Hurricane. This control line model
is designed for a .60 size engine. A separate full construction article for the
Hawker Tempest was also published in this issue....
 This plan sheet for
Warren Kurth's "049" Speed Entry, Peanut Mk.2, was printed in the October 1961
issue of American Modeler magazine. It won the ½A control line speed event
with an official speed of 102.46 mph. As was common in the day, a bottom fuselage
"pan" made of cast magnesium was used. Speed models had no landing gear and took
off from a drop-away wheeled cradle (I have seen a rear bird or two with a single
embedded wheel). They usually flew from paved or concrete runways (flying circles),
so a metal fuselage made for a durable shell. It also made for a very rigid wing
and tail mount. Metal working skill was/is needed for speed models for modifying
the metal pans to accept the engine, fuel tank, control system, and other construction
components...
 Winged Shadow Systems has developed a solid
state electronic altimeter called the
How High™ that plugs into a spare receiver channel for power, and provides altitude
readings between 50 feet and 7,000 feet above ground level. The heart of the
system is the SM5420 pressure sensor, by Silicon Microstructures. It is a micromachined
structure molded in an 8-pin SOIC plastic package. Here is the datasheet. Per the
manufacturer, "The SM5420C is a small outline SO-8 packaged pressure sensor. The
sensor uses SMI’s SM5108C micromachined, piezoresistive pressure sensing chip that
has been optimized to provide the highest possible accuracy for a package of this
size..." News Flash:
I set a personal thermalling altitude record of 1,267 feet in my 85% Aquila glider
on May 23, 2024!
 When I think of a Navy (or Air Force, or
Army, or Marine, or Coast Guard) test pilot, what comes to mind is a high powered
fighter airplane, a bomber, or even maybe a helicopter, but the guys in this 1937
Popular Mechanics magazine article are proving cargo and personnel type seaplanes.
Doing so might not be as glorious as the aforementioned types, but it is still no
job for the weak of heart or slow of mind. The average lifetime of a test pilot
is less than that of "regular" pilots because not only are new, untried concepts
tested, but part of the wringing out procedure involves pushing the craft to its
limits to determine whether the design goals were met, and to know what the placarded
"never exceed" numbers should be. Many a test pilot perished during the final "10-G"
stress tests of airplanes during World War I, which is quite a demand from
what were usually stick and tissue (spruce and silk, actually) airframes...
 It was in this May 1975 issue of R/C
Modeler magazine that I first saw the
Airtronics Aquila
sailplane (way too graceful to refer to it as merely a glider). Airtronics had
not introduced a kit yet, but they were selling a canopy and hardware kit along
with plans, so I ordered them and scratch built my first Aquila. I was 17 years
old then. It was covered to look like the one in the photo above (which would become
the kit box label photo). Not having lite ply for the fuselage, I used hard balsa.
Somehow I eventually managed to destroy Aquila #1, but by that time a kit was available,
so I bought one and also the ABS plastic fuselage. A standard Hi-Start was used
for launching. A few years ago I built a 105% Aquila version simply because I wanted
another Aquila and had never built a sailplane with a wingspan greater than 99".
I am now in the process of building an 80% scale Aquila...
 While not specifically drawn as plans for
building a model of the
Pietenpol
Air Camper, all the detail and dimensions necessary for scaling to any size
is possible using these sketches which appeared in the March 1961 issue of American
Modeler magazine. The "Piet" has been as popular a subject for modeling as is was
and still is for building full-size aircraft. Originally designed in 1930 by Bernard
Pietenpol, the craft borrowed many of its metal parts from Ford automobiles, including
the engine and suspension spring for a tail skid. Aircraft Spruce & Specialty
Company still sells Sitka spruce wood kits for the full-size Pietenpol Air Camper;
the total as of this writing is less than $4,000. You can be sure the information
contained in this article is trustworthy because it was authored by Mr. Pietenpol
himself!
 Japanese involvement in World War I
is generally not as well known as it is for World War II. The surprise attack
at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, has permanently implanted itself as one of
the nation's most memorable events, and obviously the U.S. and Japan were mortal
enemies until the Japs' unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945, following
the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Conversely, Japan was part of the Allied
(aka Entente) powers in World War I, and was considered an ally of America,
Great Britain, Italy, and France (primarily) in their war against Germany, Austria,
and the Ottoman Empire. It was one of those "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"
scenarios. Japan played a major role in barricading German sea lanes in the South
Pacific...
 This 4-view drawing of the
Fairchild
22 C-7-F (1934) was scanned from page 38B and 38C of my purchased edition of
the July 1968 American Aircraft Modeler (AAM) magazine. It is another example
of Björn Karlström's fine scale drawings. In the pre-Internet days, this sort of
detailed documentation was harder to come by, so AAM provided a great service by
publishing these. Per Wikipedia: "The aircraft was designed by Kreider-Reisner during
negotiations by Sherman Fairchild to take a major share in the company. Marketed
as the Fairchild 22 Model C7 the aircraft was certified in March 1931. The Fairchild
22 was a mixed-construction braced parasol-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel
landing gear and a braced tail unit. It had two tandem open cockpits and was initially
powered by a 80hp (60kW) Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine. After test flying
the prototype the first production aircraft were re-engined with a 75hp (56kW) Michigan
Rover inverted inline engine. The aircraft was fitted with both inline and radial
piston engines...
 My father's side of the family hearkened
from the Buffalo, New York area, but we lived in Mayo, Maryland, where my mother's
family resided. Most summers my father's sister, Bonnie (my aunt) and her husband,
Brian (my uncle) would load my grandparents and another uncle or two into their
big cruiser and drive down for a week. It was always a great time. Every five years
or so, my parents braved a trip with my siblings and me up to Buffalo. I loved it
up there because of the cool weather. Sometime around 1972, we made the trek and
while there, in-between going to Niagara Falls, Crystal Beach, and other nearby
attractions, I built from a Comet kit the
Curtiss JN4-D Jenny
biplane shown below. My Uncle Brian cleared a spot in his basement for me to work.
I left it for him as a decoration. The years passed... and passed... and passed...
 When deciding which type of covering to
apply to a model airplane structure, it would be helpful to have a table of
covering material density for comparison.
Here is such a table which shows, for instance, that 21st Century Fabric is the
heaviest type of covering you can use. MicroLite covering is the lightest weight.
Not shown are most doped or painted coverings because finished weights are so dependent
on substrate type (silk, Silkspan, tissue, etc.), paint or dope type, and number/thickness
of coats. To calculate the covering weight, multiply the density by the total surface
area of your model...
 According
to the postscript to this editorial, Hugo Gernsback wrote his opinion on the then
current state of space exploration and his recommendation for how future efforts
should proceed, a month before Alan Shepherd made his historic suborbital flight
aboard the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule. That May 5, 1961, feat marked mankind's
first foray into space. Surprisingly, Gernsback was not in favor of a
manned space program. He believed the resources and expense required to support
human life in space would be better invested in developing autonomous and remotely
controlled robotic systems. Many people agreed with him then and today. Although
I do not oppose manned space flight, I tend to agree with Gernsback that much more
can be accomplished with machines than with humans. NASA's many successes on Mars
are evidence of the accomplishments possible with robots, and the long-term missions
possible. At some point it might be necessary to explore sending men to other planets,
but there really is no imperative at this time - just a desire to do so. Coincidentally
(or maybe not so coincidentally), Mr. Gernsback refers to his vision of a lunar
probe as "surveyor," which was name of NASA's series of robotic lunar lander probes
deployed...
 One nice thing about having a website like
Airplanes and Rockets is that every once in a while a famous person will contact
me with some great information. It happened again recently when David J. Holland
wrote about how he still has the original artwork of his "Flying Men"
models from the cover of the 1962 Annual Edition of American Modeler. He
sent a photo of the magazine cover next to the framed original, along with a photo
of his actual control line model. Says Dave, "The picture is of a magazine cover
and article about my funny face models in the '50s and early 1960s. The model pictured
is the third version as I wore out the first two. The story and cover were the result
of a demonstration flight I did during the Sunday air show at the 1961 Nationals
at the Willow Grove, PA, naval air station. I have the original art work of the
cover, four times the size of the magazine..."
 In 1955, Ford introduced the Thunderbird
convertible as its first true "modern" personal luxury car. It was not promoted
as a sports car, although its 2-seat configuration certainly provided the requisite
look. As with all new model years, the
1955 Ford Thunderbird
was introduced to the public in the fall of 1954, in time for the December edition
of Air Trails to publish a series of scale pencil drawings by Jefferies. The artist
much have had access to at least some level of factory drawings because of the detail
in the x-ray views; either that or he had an exceptional ability to visualize such
things based only on external observations. If you are a Thunderbird fan, then you
will appreciate these drawings...
 These plans for the
Fleetwon control line combat model was sort of crammed into the 1960 Annual
edition of Air Trails magazine. I say that because the article accompanying it is
rather terse, and there are no photos of the actual built model. Bob Peru designed
it for a .35 size engine, but says it can get along with a .19 if ultimate performance
is not required. Wingspan is about 38", so a .19 would definitely be on the low
side for power unless the model is built extremely light. Construction employs a
typical balsa main framework with plywood and hardwood used for engine and bellcrank
support...
Some 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)...
 Since first posting photos and a description
of my Chameleon Field Box™ about
fifteen years ago, I have received many requests for plans. The plans were originally
drawn using Autodesk's AutoSketch v6.1, but I no longer have the program, and even
if I did, it probably won't run in Windows 10. A few years back I began re-drawing
the plans using Visio. After reviewing the plans, it appears I did everything except
the detachable transmitter holder. A JPG version of the plans can be downloaded
from my Chameleon Field Box™ webpage.
Depending on the phase of the moon, the prevailing wind, stock market activity,
or the color shirt I'm wearing, my interest in airplane activities alternate between
radio control, free flight, control line, static display, electric or glow fuel
power, or any other aspects of modeling. Over the years, I have designed and built
probably four or five different field boxes to accommodate the mood du jour. Each
was sold before moving on to the next design iteration. Finally, I decided that
rather than keeping on making new field boxes, it would make more sense to design
a one-size-fits-all version. The Chameleon
Field Box™, as I have dubbed it, comes pretty close to achieving that goal...
 After about a 12-month hiatus from flying
any kind of model airplane, and having sold all of my RC gear prior to moving to
Erie, PA, I looked around for something that would get me back into the air quickly.
My first inclination was to build yet another Spirit 2-meter sailplane and put a
brushless motor in it like before, but I really didn't want to have to take the
time to build it first. I also did not particularly care for most of the ARF gliders
that were available, but seeing the ParkZone
Radian sailplane on the Horizon Hobby website and watching the video of its
flight convinced me to spring the $250 for the RTF version. There certainly is no
better value out there - a nice-looking sailplane with brushless motor and controller,
servos, a 3-cell Li-Po battery, and a charger, along with a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum
radio system. You cannot buy the parts individually for that much. See September
7, 2009 update: Assembly was a piece of cake - just slide the horizontal stabilizer
/ elevator into place and secure it with the supplied clear tape, then connect the
pushrod wire to the control horn...
 Phantom Motors, out of Los Angeles, California,
was one of the early manufacturers of ignition motors for model airplanes, boats,
and cars. This full-page advertisement appeared in the November 1946 issue of Air
Trails magazine. This particular ad had a Christmas theme, as did many of the other
ads in that edition. If you do a search on eBay for vintage Phantom Motors ignition
engines, not much shows up, so that probably means there were either not too many
of them made, or they were not sturdy enough to survive hard landings and frequent
usage so that the engines were trashed. Oh well. The $14.95 price tag in 1946 is
the equivalent of $288.31 in 2021 per the BLS inflation calculator...
 The "Ephemeris" Class A and FAI
free flight model was somewhat of a sensation in the modeling world back in 1963
when it appeared in the March/April issue of American Modeler magazine because it
featured up thrust. Its designer, R. Jess Krieser, was "thinking outside the box"
before the term was even coined. Mr. Krieser took an engineering approach to redesigning
the Carl Goldberg "Sailplane" model and after examining tables and graphs on L/D
curves on airfoil drag coefficients, settled on the final form factor that became
the Ephemeris. Read about it here...
 Melanie and I have been trying to recall
toys and games we had as kids and then searching for them on eBay to see what is
available. If the price isn't too outrageous, we go ahead and by them. Melanie remembered
having a battery-powered
electromechanical toy dachshund that had a hand-held controller (not much in
the way of radio control back in the 1960s). She finally managed to find one, so
we bid on it and got it for a decent price (I don't recall exactly how much, but
around $30 + shipping). It was advertised as not working, but I figured how hard
can it be to fix something that simple? The dog, controller, and box looked to be
be in excellent condition for its age (manufactured in the later 1950's from what
I can find). The problem ended up being that a wire had broken off the motor. A
little solder fixed that, and now it works as good as new. While apart for repair,
I saw that the front and rear body halves are connected with a large spring, and
the wheels and motor a on a freely rotating...
Some 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)...
 This "Mactuator," or
magnetic
actuator for radio controlled models, may be a form of the very first truly
digital servo - that is to say that a digital input consisting of ones and zeroes
determines the position of the control arm. Analog servos and their "digital" cousins
of the types employed by R/C modelers use the relative position and width of a pulse
in a train of pulses to determine what the position of the control arm will be.
The main difference between the two types is the refresh rate of analog versus digital
- about 20 milliseconds vs. 0.3 milliseconds, respectively. Most people
not familiar with hobby type servos would probably assume - and understandably so
- that a digital servo takes as a signal input a binary word of some length instructing
it where to position the control arm. For instance, the receiver might output a
10-bit word that represents 210 = 1024 discrete positions for the servo... |
