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 Maybe it is because my first R/C model airplane
was a 1/2A Skylane, but I have always have a great admiration for
Carl Goldberg, whose eponymously named company manufactured the
kit. Sadly, both the man and his company are gone now. Mr. Goldberg, whose
biology can be found on the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) website, aptly summarizes
his contributions in the following statement, " 'Mr. Modeling,' title given by
American Modeler magazine, hailed by expert builders and beginners alike
as 'Expert Designer.' Carl is typical of the many designers who have come to the
top from the rank of model builders and flyers and herein represents a host of individuals
with similar talents...
 "You'll soon be able to build your very own
International Space Station (ISS), and it won't take half as long
as the real version. Thanks to Lego's upcoming set you can own your own part of
the iconic ISS. The set is due to go on sale on February 1st and comprises of 864
pieces. It comes complete with three cargo spacecraft, two astronaut minifigures,
and a mini NASA space shuttle. To celebrate its launch, Lego sent the mini ISS made
out of Lego bricks up to the stratosphere by using a giant weather balloon to 'get
it as close to the real ISS.' According to Lego, the team asked NASA experts to
approve of the design of the plastic brick set..."
 "At the CES this year, Hyundai and Uber have
announced their cooperative effort to build
air taxis to be used on the Uber platform Elevate. The two companies
also presented the S-A1, a prototype for such an electrically powered vertical take-off
aircraft. The commercial launch of Uber Elevate is scheduled for 2023. Aircraft
from various manufacturers are to be used there - one of them will probably be Hyundai.
The Korean company only officially presented their 'Strategy 2025' roadmap at the
beginning of December, under which the auto sector is to be converted into 'smart
mobility devices' - including personal air vehicles (PAV). At the CES, Hyundai just
presented a model of the S-A1 aircraft, which has a total of eight rotors - four
of these have two blades and the other four have five rotor blades..."
 There is no such thing as too many 3-view
drawings of the
Supermarine Spitfire. This is the Mark 2 (Mk 2, or Mk II)version,
inked by Leonard Wieczorek. According to the Wikipedia entry, Supermarine manufactured
24 variants (Mark, or Mk) of the Spitfire which included various combinations of
engines and airframe configurations. A trainer version was amongst them. Some online
accounts claim the Spitfire Mk II, with its 12-cylinder Rolls Royce Merlin
engine, made its maiden flight on March 5, 1936. That means it was functional prior
to the mid-1940 Battle of Britain, the event that put the Spitfire in the history
books as formidable dogfighter in the hands of a skilled and valiant pilot. The
Spitfire Mk V model, put into service in late 1940, was the most-produced,
and last unpressurized version...
 "Airplanes have a lot to learn from birds,
and
PigeonBot is teaching us about the magic of feathered flight.
Birds have been doing their flying thing with flexible and feathery wings for about
a hundred million years, give or take. And about a hundred years ago, give or take,
humans decided that, although birds may be the flying experts, we're just going
to go off in our own direction with mostly rigid wings and propellers and stuff,
because it's easier or whatever. The few attempts at making artificial feathers
that we've seen in the past have been sufficient for a few specific purposes but
haven't really come close to emulating the capabilities that real feathers bestow
on the wings of birds..."
Aerospace Companies Compete to Build
Lunar Landers for NASA's Project Artemis
 "Blue Origin, Boeing, and SpaceX are among
those proposing ships to put
astronauts back on the moon by the end of 2024. After 50 years
of lamenting that America had abandoned the moon, astronauts are in a rush again,
trying to go back within five—and NASA has asked aerospace companies to design the
lunar landers that will get them there. The project is called Artemis, and the agency
is now reviewing proposals to build what it calls the Human Landing System, or HLS.
In January, it says, it will probably select finalists. NASA had said a landing
was possible by 2028. Then, the White House said to do it by 2024..."
 Our grandparents used to tell us how one
of the most disappointing aspects of growing older was having the lifelong familiar
family, friends, and places disappear. Now that I'm in my sixties, hard as that
is to believe, the scenario is unfolding before my eyes. Department stores like
Montgomery Ward, Woolworth's, Britt's, and Sears & Roebuck are in the dustbin
of history, as the saying goes. I really miss the garden and tool departments of
Sears. Nearer and dearer to my heart are the missing hobby products and distributors.
In the late 1960s when I first really was aware of radio control, a Kraft two-channel
receiver/servo "brick" system was my objet de désir for a simple sailplane. I had
to settle for a used three-channel OS Digital R/C system, and installed it in a
Mark's Model Windward glider. Tower Hobbies,
Hobby Lobby, Hobby Shack, Hobby People, and the like ran multi-page...
 "Virgin Galactic has reached the 'Weight
on Wheels' milestone in the build of its second commercial spaceship. In this milestone,
all major structural elements of the vehicle were assembled, and the vehicle deployed
its main landing gear and carried its own weight for the first time. The milestone
signals strong progress in the manufacture of
Virgin Galactic's space vehicle fleet by The Spaceship Company,
VGH's wholly-owned aerospace development subsidiary. This Weight on Wheels milestone
has been reached considerably faster than it took to get to this stage with the
first spaceship in the Virgin Galactic fleet, VSS Unity, which is currently in flight
test. This pace has been achieved through a more efficient, modular assembly process...
 This website exists entirely on the support
of its visitors by way of a small percentage earned with your
Amazon.com purchases. It typically works out to
less than $10 per month. That barley covers the domain registration and secure server
fees. If you plan to buy items via
Amazon.com, please begin your shopping session
from the AirplanesAndRockets.com website so that I get credit for it. Doing so does
not cost you anything extra. Thank you for your support.
 "Steadicopter, one of the companies involved
in the
Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry, recently unveiled
its next generation Black Eagle 50 advanced lightweight unmanned robotic helicopter.
New capabilities include an inertial navigation system with no dependence on GPS,
as well as support for naval missions. Steadicopter's Black Eagle 50 unmanned helicopter
has been upgraded with several additional new features and is tailored for naval
missions with its robust mechanical and electronic capabilities that support flight
in maritime environmental conditions. The company also recently signed a cooperative
agreement with Israel Shipyards..."
 Founded in 1943, in the midst of World War II,
Revell's staff of talented artists, sculptors, machinists, chemists, engineers,
researchers, instruction writers, and assembly line workers have tuned out multiple
millions of highly detailed scale plastic models of every mode of transportation
ever devised, from every country that devised said modes of transportation.
Revell also made scale scenery and people to compliment the models.
They even made model of things that never really existed, like star ships and submarines
that could explore 20,000 leagues under the sea. I use images from the box tops
of many Revell kits for the Airplanes and Rockets website daily logos. Monogram
(founded in 1945) and Revell merged in 1986...
 "NASA's first large scale, piloted X-plane
in more than three decades is cleared for final assembly and integration of its
systems following a major project review by senior managers held Thursday at NASA
Headquarters in Washington. The management review, known as Key Decision Point-D
(KDP-D), was the last programmatic hurdle for the X-59
Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft to clear before
officials meet again in late 2020 to approve the airplane's first flight in 2021.
"With the completion of KDP-D we've shown the project is on schedule, it's well
planned and on track. We have everything in place to continue this historic research
mission for the nation's air-traveling public," said Bob Pearce, NASA's associate
administrator..."
 "Drones are usually in the news for bad reasons,
like controversial killings of suspected terrorists in the Middle East, bombings
of Saudi oil facilities or an assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro. What many people may not know is that United Nations peacekeepers use
drones to protect civilians from violence. These drones are different:
They don't carry weapons. I have followed the U.N.'s use of drones since its beginning
in 2013 and have spoken with peacekeepers and U.N. officers who are familiar with
their use. I believe drones have the potential to save lives. But that doesn't mean
they necessarily will..."
 Peter Bowers was a well-known designer and
builder of both full-size and model airplanes. As an aeronautical engineer working
for Boeing in Seattle, he was well qualified for his hobby pursuits of homebuilt
airplanes and competition-class free flight airplanes. He was also an aviation photographer
and historian with many books and magazine articles to his credit. Bowers' most
famous creation is undoubtedly the Bowers Fly Baby monoplane, which won the Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA) contest in 1962 for the best low-cost, folding-wing plane
that can be towed or trailered from home to and from the airport - the goal being
to avoid expensive hanger or tie-down fees. The Fly Baby was much in the fashion
of a large model as it was constructed almost entirely of wood...
 "Harbour Air's
all-electric-powered de Havilland Beaver took off for an inaugural
flight test just after daybreak December 10 to the cheers of about two dozen people
huddled on a chilly dock in Vancouver, British Columbia, as the distinctive seaplane
ushered in a new era of aviation. Several thousand more also watched online as the
yellow-and-navy magniX-powered seaplane retrofitted with a 750-horsepower magni500
propulsion system thundered into the air during a live social media broadcast. The
fossil fuel-free aircraft partnership between North America's largest seaplane airline
and Redmond, Washington-based electric propulsion venture magniX was announced in
March..."
 "A highly anticipated ASTM International
standard is designed to satisfy the growing demand for better identification and
tracking of unmanned aircraft systems - commonly known as drones. Similar to the
function of a car license plate, the
Remote ID standard supports technology that allows the general
public and public safety officials to identify a drone using an assigned ID, while
preserving the privacy of the drone pilot's personal information. The standard,
which will be published in the coming weeks with the designation F3411, was developed
by the ASTM International unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) committee (F38)..."
This website exists entirely on the support
of its visitors by way of a small percentage earned with your
Amazon.com purchases. It typically works out to
less than $10 per month. That barley covers the domain registration and secure server
fees. If you plan to buy items via
Amazon.com, please begin your shopping session
from the AirplanesAndRockets.com website so that I get credit for it. Doing so does
not cost you anything extra. Thank you for your support.
 Mya Rae Nelson has an excellent article in
the current issue of Fine Woodworking magazine entitled, "The Science Behind Epoxies." I was surprised to read that epoxy
has only been around since the
1940s, so
when I first used it in the early 1970s, it was only a three decade old technology.
As with cellphones, now that we have epoxy, how did we ever get along without it?
Ms. Nelson uses layman terms to describe the molecular makeup of both the epoxy
resin and the hardener, and describes how the bonds between the resin atoms are
broken then reestablished with the insertion of hardener atoms into the matrix.
If you attended classes for and understood the basics of chemistry, that will help
with understanding the technical side of epoxy curing and strength, but even without
the nerd knowledge you will still gain a better understanding of how this indispensible
modeler's brew works.
 "The Great War triggered a trend toward
big flying machines. Really big. I had been warned that there
wasn't much left of the airplane that designer Gianni Caproni had intended to be
a transatlantic flying boat - the Noviplano - which had crashed and broken apart
concluding its first and final flight, on March 4, 1921. There wasn't. I'd trekked
up into the Italian Alps to the Caproni museum in Trento only to learn that a small
section of the hull and other pieces from the wreck of the Noviplano were in storage,
awaiting conservation. Next I took the train to the Volandia Museum of Flight, just
outside the perimeter fence of Milan's Malpensa international airport. I was ushered
inside to meet Gregory Alegi, a Yale-educated Italian journalist, defense analyst,
and aviation historian..."
 "At one time or another, you've probably
supported your local high school by buying candy. Now you have another option: purchasing
an airplane, built by the students themselves. The students are participants in
a program created in 2016 by the nonprofit
Tango Flight, which got its start by raising $90,000 in Georgetown,
Texas. Since then, Tango Flight has expanded to five other cities across the country,
boosted by funding from Airbus and local sponsors, such as the Aviation Museum of
New Hampshire. 'It's really amazing to see the aviation community come together
and support this,' says Tango Flight co-founder Dan Weyant. 'Most of the folks in
this business recognize that we are in desperate need to bring younger new folks
into it either as a hobby or as a career..."
 "Researchers in the U.S. have developed a
high speed
digital twin of a custom built drone to monitor its reliability
and predict potential failures. The Dynamic Data-Driven Application Systems (DDDAS)
digital twin project includes researchers from University of Texas at Austin
(UT Austin), MIT, Akselos and drone maker Aurora Flight Sciences. The
twin represents each component of the UAV, as well as its integrated whole, using
physics-based models that capture the details of its behaviour. The digital twin
also uses on-board sensor data from the UAV and integrates that information with
the model to create real-time predictions of the health of the vehicle. 'It's essential
that UAVs monitor their structural health..."
 This is the Sunday, January 30, 1944, "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...
 Website visitor Barb H. wrote to ask
that I provide her with a copy of the page in the January 1972 issue of American
Aircraft Modeler that her brother, David Downey, had a suggestion of his printed.
It appeared in the "Where the Action Is: Control Line" column. John Blum wrote the
"Carrier and Stunt" section and mentions David's idea of using a section of neoprene
tubing around the outside of the elevator pushrod in order to minimize flexing under
load. The tubing is to be glued to the fuselage structure in three inch or less
interval along its length. Interestingly, Mr. Downey submitted his entry from
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, which today is the seventh largest city in Brazil. The
column also has a report which is funny in retrospect, but was potentially very
dangerous at the time...
 An article appeared in the January 2020 issue
of Model Aviation magazine extolling the virtues of
Indoor Free Flight Supply
for their making available an assortment of hard-to-find accessories. Some are specialty
hardware items and others are high precision tools and devices for assisting the
serious indoor free flight competitor gain an edge over others in the challenge.
Examples include all-metal geared winders with a dial indicator tracking the number
of winds, a torque meter, and a contest rubber cutter with micrometer adjustments
and a self-sharpening blade that achieves perpendicular (vs. undesirable trapezoidal)
edges.
 "An Indian software developer and mechanical engineer
combing through high-resolution imagery captured by a NASA spacecraft has located
debris scattered on the lunar surface in September by the crash of the
Vikram lander, India's first probe to attempt a soft touchdown
on the moon, NASA said Monday. A camera mounted on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
has recorded images of the Vikram spacecraft's target landing site since Indian
ground controllers lost contact with probe Sept. 6 during final descent to the moon.
The robotic Vikram lander was descending toward a landing zone around 373 miles
from the moon's south pole..."
 Most magazines, whether hobby, professional,
news, or otherwise focused, contain a section that features what its readers are
up to. Typically included is some combination of reader comments, photos, editorial
contents, contest reports, etc. Flying Aces magazine's version of that was "With the Model Builders." There was not much in the way of radio
control in 1941 when this column appeared, so it had free flight and control line
models. One photo showed a guy who was getting ready to go into the Army to fight
Hitler's and Tojo's minions passing his penchant for aeromodeling on to his little
sister...
 BlackBird appears to be an airborne version of Über car ride
service. If you need to quickly get from point A to point B and can't do it by scheduled
planes, trains, or automobiles, hail your ride with Black Bird. I was not familiar
with the service prior to seeing in a news item regarding the FAA being concerned
over whether the pilots and airplanes are properly certified to provide flights.
BlackBird believes its participating pilots know the law and comply as needed. If
you elect to use the service, be sure to inquire whether your escort is fully qualified
by the FAA.
 "China has performed a hover and hazard avoidance
test on a model the country's first
Mars rover, while engineers ready the real spacecraft for launch
toward the red planet in mid-2020. Comprising an orbiter, lander and rover, the
mission aims to become the first Chinese spacecraft to reach Mars after lifting
off aboard a Long March 5 rocket - the country's most powerful launcher - during
a several week window opening in July 2020. The mission will launch from the Wenchang
space center on Hainan Island, China's newest spaceport. China invited ambassadors
and envoys from 19 countries..."
 "Airbus Defence and Space has invested in US-based
battery technology company Amprius, to boost the development of new generation batteries
based on silicon nanowire anode technology. The investment will help drive the development
of higher volume production capacity, and cells with higher energy density for programmes
such as the Zephyr high altitude pseudo satellite and Urban Air Mobility innovation
initiatives. Amprius was the first company to introduce 100% silicon anodes in lithium
ion batteries to the market in 2013. It manufactures the highest energy density
commercial batteries in the industry. The company's products and technology include
a 100 per cent silicon nanowire anode, silicon-graphite composite anodes, lithium-rich
cathodes..."
 The
U.S. Navy's relationship with model aviation used to be very significant,
even to the extent that for many years the service sponsored the Academy of Model
Aeronautics' (AMA) annual National Model Airplane (the Nats) contest. Navy bases
served as the venue for the meets and a large number of Navy personnel provided
assistance with organization, facilities preparation and management, promotion,
event management, and awards ceremonies. The stated purpose was to foster the love
of aviation in young men along with a familiarity with the Navy's environment so
that when they came of age, enlistment - or commission - would be a natural progression...
 "Human forces are relying more on
UGVs, UAVs, and other robotic systems to perform critical and
dangerous tasks plus serve as intelligent machine partners. Machines no longer require
the press of a button to start the power, especially for military missions. Autonomy
is coming rapidly to robots and unmanned machines for military applications. They
come in the forms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles
(UGVs) that can function without an operator, with the aid of artificial intelligence
(AI) and environmental sensors. Significant investments by governments on behalf
of military robotic applications are literally driving autonomous robotic technologies
full speed ahead toward the vision of a battlefield where humans and machines team
as partners..."
 "In response
to recent threats of rogue and errant drones launched against airports and other
critical facilities, infrastructure and events, 34 North Drones, a leading commercial
drone service provider, has partnered with IDS North America to offer and install
the
NO-DRONE radar counter drone system for all government and civilian
clients in need of protection. IDS is a leading software company that designs, develops,
and distributes software for air navigation, security, and the defense sector. The
NO-DRONE radar detection system evolved from a proven and existing military battlefield
solution originally tuned to recognize small objects such as incoming mortar, artillery
and rocket fire..."
This website
exists entirely on the support of its visitors by way of a small percentage earned
with your
Amazon.com purchases. It typically works out to
less than $10 per month. That barley covers the domain registration and secure server
fees. If you plan to buy items via
Amazon.com, please begin your shopping session
from the AirplanesAndRockets.com website so that I get credit for it. Doing so does
not cost your anything extra. Thank you for your support.
 Beginning
in the mid 1960s, Sears catalogs contained some pretty nice equatorial mount, refractor
telescopes. The f15, 60 mm (2.3") "Discoverer" Model 6305 appeared in
the 1967 catalog for $99.98, which in 2019 money is the equivalent of $763.49 (per
the BLS CPI calculator). Then, in 1970 this f15.5, 90 mm (3.5")
Model 6345 was offered for $499.95, or the equivalent of $3,401.88
(per the CPI calculator). Yow, I'm guessing not many of those were sold, especially
as evidenced by the lack of available 6345 models that show up on astronomy forums
and on eBay. Although not mentioned in the description, there appears to be a motor
drive on the right ascension axis. Five oculars (0.975" ?) are included along with
a special rotatable prism that holds all five - pretty convenient if it works well.
Otherwise, it has the same set of accessories...
 "In the 1950s, people dreamed of using nuclear
energy to power all manner of transport — from cars to airplanes to airships. In
the U.S. the father of the nuclear reactor, Enrico Fermi, envisioned a
nuclear-powered aircraft, while in the USSR, the chief designer
of the Soviet atomic bomb, Aleksandr Kurchatov, thought nuclear-powered 'heavy aircraft'
could be built. A nuclear-powered bomber seemed a no-brainer since it could theoretically
stay aloft indefinitely, providing an effective deterrent to a nuclear attack. Both
the U.S. and the Soviet Union researched nuclear-powered aircraft, but neither country
developed an active-duty version due to problems inherent in the design. These included
shielding air and ground crews from radiation (see also
A-Power Transport)..."
 This week's puzzle features words and clues,
marked with an asterisk (*), regarding a momentous event which took place this week
on
December 17, 1903. As with my hundreds of previous engineering
and science-themed crossword puzzles, this one contains only clues and terms associated
with engineering, science, physical, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, etc., which
I have built up over nearly two decades. Many new words and company names have been
added that had not even been created when I started in the year 2002. You will never
find a word taxing your knowledge of a numbnut soap opera star or the name of some
obscure village in the Andes mountains. You might, however, encounter...
 Once upon a time in America, many companies
big and small, privately owned and publically controlled, and even federal, state,
and local governments freely and openly sent
Christmas messages to patrons and subjects, confident that the
vast majority of recipients would gratefully accept the spirit of the intended sentiment.
Such was this 1961 greeting from the Testors company in American Modeler
magazine. I today's easily - or falsely - offended world, only the brave who do
not fear retribution dare to wish someone a Merry Christmas without first ascertaining
the likely response. From the Airplanes and rockets website, "Merry Christmas to
all, and to all a good night!..."
 "An Airbus-backed air racing tournament unveiled
an
electric-powered sports aircraft on Sunday, billed as the world's
first, as the European plane maker seeks to boost its green aerospace technology.
Several companies, including U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies, are working
on electric-powered flying cars, amid increasing concerns about the environmental
impact of fossil-fuel intensive air travel. Last month, Airbus rival Boeing announced
a partnership with automaker Volkswagen's sports car brand, Porsche, to develop
a concept electric flying vehicle capable of transporting people in urban environments..."
 "UPS this week announced the first two revenue-generating
residential deliveries of prescribed medicines to consumers. Its
drone delivered the prescription medications from a CVS pharmacy
in Cary, North Carolina, to a consumer's home, and to a customer in a retirement
community, both on November 1. An M2 drone developed by UPS partner Matternet made
the deliveries. The drone flew autonomously but was monitored by a remote operator
who could intervene if needed. In each case, it hovered about 20 feet above the
delivery destination and lowered its package to the ground using a winch and cable..."
 In this December 1961 issue of American
Modeler magazine, editor Bill Winter laments the termination of Pan American
Airways' (PAA) sponsorship of the popular
PAA-Load contesting event. For the previous 14 years, Pan Am underwrote
expenses and created, monitored, wrote the rules for, publicized, convened contests,
and awarded prizes for an aspect of model airplane building and flying meant to
encourage youngsters to be involved in the design, flying and strategic planning
of creating a platform which would carry large amounts of weight at low power. According
the Mr. Winter, the PAA-Load event might have been too successful for its own
good. As with most kinds of competitions with high participation, dedicated participants
finely tuned their designing, building, and flying skills to the point where newcomers...
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