|
 Leonardo da Vinci is usually credited with
producing the first illustration of a helicopter concept. It employed a rotating
helical corkscrew device at the top in order to enable the craft and occupant to
"screw his way aloft, in much the same manner as Archimedes designed his eponymous
helical screw device to lift water from a lower level to a higher level. Water,
being dense and cohesive with itself, was easily elevated, whilst air, not being
dense or cohesive, did not yield to the same technique. In fact, if the "aerial
screw" were able to spin rapidly enough and was of an efficient aerodynamic design,
it would work. Here is a 4-screw drone to prove it. These "Windmill
Planes" presented in the February 1939 issue of Popular Science magazine represent
the state of the art at the time. Surprisingly omitted is an example of Igor Sikorsky's
helicopter design, which he first flew successfully in September...
 "On the occasion of the 50th anniversary
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which began its operations
on October 1, 1958, we offer this list of the
50 most memorable images from NASA's history. We recognize that any such ranking
is inherently subjective. The rationale for why any one image ranked two slots higher
than any other combines several factors, including our attempt to balance the list
between human spaceflight, satellite imaging, and planetary exploration. Many wonderful
images did not make the final cut - we couldn't convince the editors to give us
20 pages instead of 10. The list omits significant events from space history that
were not NASA achievements..."
 This sort of cutting edge technology used
to be the domain of military operations, but nowadays it can be found in amusement
parks and even at backyard parties. The parachute training facility which appeared
in a 1937 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine was real whiz-bang stuff
at the time. Although Russia's system is featured here, I have to believe other
countries were doing the same sort of thing. Using a
high power fan to boost the paratrooper trainee in a simulated parachute descent
was an excellent method of introducing men to the sensations and reactions to control
inputs via shroud lines. The story noes not mention whether the fan was forceful
enough to simulate a free-fall experience. Just today a saw a news item showing
such recreational free-fall machine companies called Urban Air and iFall...
 Since first starting with control line model
sin the late 1960s, I always intended to build a multi-engine model of some sort,
but didn't get around to it until around 2016 when I began construction on a Douglas
DC-3 (maiden flight occurred in 2023). With the plethora of ready-to-fly (RTF) and
almost RTF (ARF) models on the market today at very reasonable prices, there is
no real good excuse for not doing it; so I'll have to stick with my bad excuses.
But I digress. This simple twin
"Wee-38" Lightning which
appeared in the December 1959 issue of American Modeler magazine, uses
a pair of Cox .020 or .049 engines and solid balsa components. You could electrify
the model with equivalent brushless motors, ESCs, and a LiPo battery pack. It would
be nice if a series of ESCs would be marketed for twin motors, since unlike with
brushed...
 The
Space Race 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 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...
|
 Here are a few more helpful
model building tips from the May 1961 issue of the Academy of Model Aeronautics'
American Modeler magazine. Many are not so useful anymore because inexpensive
and commercially made versions of the gadgets and tools presented are readily available.
Of course you can still do it yourself for any of them, and if time and/or money
is an issue, you might need to. The first one requires a product that is scarce
these days - photographic negatives. Nearly every household used to have old negatives
laying around, but not anymore. Maybe your parents or grandparents have some they
could spare if you really want to give it a try. The painted-on water-transfer decal
seems like a pretty slick idea, and could still be a useful trick. I wonder how
well it works...
 If you ever had any doubt whether Bill Winter
was one of the model airplane hobby's earliest and most prolific contributors, check
out this article that appeared in the January 1955 edition of Popular Electronics
magazine (only the third issue since its inception). Radio control systems were
just beginning to be commercialized and priced at a point where a lot of the public
could afford it. Quirks and high unreliability that plagued early systems had become
less of an issue so that airplane and power plant design efforts could take priority
with aeromodelers. In this article, Bill addresses setting proper
wing incidence and engine
thrust angles for good, repeatable, stable flight...
 Featured here in the September 1949 issue
of Air Trails magazine are no fewer than 52 model aircraft (or boat or
car) engines on the market at the time. As with most items considered non-essential
that required critical resources (material and/or manufacturing capacity), the modeling
industry took a hit during the World War II years. Much print space was consumed
by tips and tricks for how to make your own components or substitute material for
what had been customary. Balsa was in short supply because it was (and still is)
used in the construction of air-dropped equipment pallets. Rubber, metal, plastic
(still relatively new at the time), and even some cloth and paper was often difficult
to procure for building or repairing models. Once the war was over, companies went
as fast as they could in converting from wartime production back to peacetime production...
 Wives poking fun at their hobby-obsessed
husbands is not a new thing. Good-natured articles contributed by wives have appeared
in all kinds of specialty magazines for decades. This one entitled "Why
Not Authentic, Prefabricated Husbands?" was written by the wife of a model airplane,
rocket, and boat builder. Her name is Laurie Cunningham, which makes me wonder if
she is the better half of Chuck Cunningham, who wrote the "Cunningham on R/C" column
for R/C Modeler magazine for many years. Mrs. Cunningham's experience is not
unlike my own wife's (Melanie) dilemma living with me going on four decades. Throughout
our house on display are Estes rocket models, plastic and balsa model airplanes
and boats, and even a helicopter or two. Most of them are ones I've never flown
or floated for fear of messing up the carefully applied finish. Fortunately, the
in-service models are now all electric so there is not a mess of glow fuel dripping
onto the floor - just an occasional tire mark on the wall. In exchange for her tolerance...
 Since this membership application for the
Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) brings up the subject of inflation, I figured
it would be interesting to find out what the inflation rate was in 1949 when it
appeared in Air Trails magazine. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator, the
rate in 1949 was actually negative (-1.2%) due to a multi-year economic recession
triggered by President Truman's "Fair Deal"; however, in the previous year (1948)
it was a whopping 8.1%, and the year before that (1947) it was an incredible 14.4%!!!
So, massive inflation was definitely still on the minds of Americans at the time.
The current inflation rate (March 2022) is sitting at 8.5%, with no sign of things
getting any better. In fact, economists say if the inflation rate was calculated
the way it was in 1949, it would be in the 15% realm. According to the BLS Inflation
Calculator, what would have cost you $1.00 in September 1949 will cost you $12.03
in March of 2022. That's 1,203% inflation in about 73 years, which averages to about
1.102% per year (1.102^73 = 1,200). Clearly, we are currently in a period of significant
inflation, but that's what we get when the government prints money like mad and
dilutes the value of every dollar in your pocket...
 Anyone
who watched the
WKRP in Cincinnati sitcom back in the 1970s has to remember what was one of
the funniest episodes ever. Here is the 4 minutes that made Prime Time history.
In this Thanksgiving episode, station owner / manager Arthur Carlson decided he
would surprise the community with good deed - that doubled as a promotional stunt
for his radio station - by dropping turkeys from a helicopter for lucky shoppers
at the local shopping mall. Watch the disaster unfold as Les Nessman reports live,
and then see Carlson's final comment that is still used or alluded to in many comic
routines. Posting this video is an RF Cafe tradition. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
 The name Frank Ehling was big in control
line circles (pun intended) back in the middle of the last century. He was a very
active modeler in free flight, control line, and radio control for that matter,
and was the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) technical director for a while. Frank
was a prolific and accomplished airplane designer, plans draftsman, flyer, and competitor.
This article and plans for his "Combat King"
control line combat model appeared in the June 1959 issue of American Modeler magazine.
It is a flying wing design with a 37" wingspan and is meant to powered with a .29
to .35 size engine. As with most of the vintage model designs, it would easily be
converted to electric power and be competitive. Construction materials are standard
balsa and plywood.
 It really is amazing how quickly aeronautics
evolved in the mere four decades between when the Wright brothers first flew their
Flyer until when this 1945 issue of Flying Age magazine printed a
history of development of propellers. The technology went from fixed pitch,
hand-carved wooden models to variable pitch, machine formed and finished high strength
metal alloy variants. Those c1945 props needed to withstand the incredible forces
of not just 1000-plus horsepower engines, but the centrifugal force and bending
moments imposed on them by high speed rotation and rapid changes in axial orientation
as the airplanes they were attached to performed high−G maneuvers. Research and
development from American, European, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese engineers and
scientists are to be primarily credited...
  The Peanuts© comic strip, drawn by Charles
Schulz, has been my lifetime favorite. That it is also the world's favorite strip
is no wonder. Now that I have crossed the half-century threshold, I tend to look
back at the innocence and complexity of the themes with a perspective other than
simply entertainment - although I still thoroughly enjoy reading them just to get
a few good laughs. Along the way, I have managed to collect a few bits of memorabilia.
Melanie was a Peanuts fan as a child and actually still had some of her girlhood
collection. Part of her dowry when we married was a couple dozen Peanuts paperback
comic books, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy Skediddlers, the Snoopy Christmas tree
ornament, a couple Peanuts banners, and a few other odds and ends. The rest of the
stuff like the Snoopy astronaut and the magazines with early Charles Schulz artwork
was purchased off of eBay. Schroeder, Lucy, and Snoopy Bobbleheads (aka Nodders)
were added in November 2012 as well as the Schroeder & Piano...
 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. She had the Hungerford Linus and Sally, so we still needed to find
Schroeder, Lucy, Charlie Brown, Pigpen, and Snoopy. Everything was procured via
eBay auctions. It took a lot of patience to be able to get good quality items at
an affordable price. The "Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz" book was very helpful
in identifying which Peanuts memorabilia items were made. The author mentioned that
the rarest Hungerford piece was the piano that came with Schroeder, so a saved search
was placed on eBay and after about a year, one came up for auction. We paid less
than $100 for it back around 2010. We're still in need of Lucy, Charlie Brown, Pigpen,
and Snoopy. Please let me know if you have these that you are will to sell at a
reasonable price...
 This is the February 8, 1942, "Flyin'
Jenny" comic strip. The Baltimore Sun newspaper, published not far from where
I grew up near Annapolis, Maryland, carried "Flyin' Jenny" from the late 1930s until
the strip ended in the mid 1940s, so I saved a couple dozen from there. The first
one I downloaded has a publication date of December 7, 1941 - that date "which will
live in infamy," per President Roosevelt. Many Americans were receiving word over
the radio of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor while reading this comic at the
breakfast table. I expect that soon there will be World War II themes. "Flyin'
Jenny," whose real name was Virginia Dare (what's in a name?), was a test pilot
for Starcraft Aviation Factory who divided her time between wringing out new airplane
designs and chasing bad guys. She was the creation of artist and storyteller Russell
Keaton...
 Since there is a lot of wisdom conferred
each month upon the model aircraft magazine reading public, I thought it would be
of service to scan, OCR (so you can search the text), and post some of the articles
from vintage American Aircraft Modeler magazines. This first is the "Walt Mooney on Free Flight,"
from the January 1974 issue. One item is how a flying club near the Miramar Naval
Air Station (of Top Gun fame) lost its site because someone (a non-member) flew
an R/C glider at high altitude during a full-size training exercise, thereby disturbing
the program. Eventually, all kinds of aeromodeling will be covered including free
flight, control line, and radio control. Stay tuned for more to come...
 Model boat plans are more difficult to come
by than model airplane plans, so seeing this article in the August 1954 issue of
Air Trails magazine for a small, free-running hydroplane was a nice find.
Its simple, inexpensive construction makes it a quick build for those rare modelers
that still build their own models out of wood. The Skiddin' II can easily accommodate
a modern miniature radio control system and a brushless motor setup. The original
model was designed for a transom-mounted glow fuel outboard engine, but those things
make model boat plans look plentiful. If you really want an outboard, try eBay,
and be prepared to pay a couple hundred bucks for it...
 Website visitor Kenneth E. wrote to say
that he is working to build a complete collection of the "For the Tenderfoot" models that
were published in American Aircraft Modeler magazine. The "For the Tenderfoot"
series was an attempt to provide motivation to young newcomers to the hobby. They
were a mix of free flight rubber, gliders, and 1/4A & 1/2A control line designs
that built simply and cheaply. Kenneth requested reprints of the following three
models: Saucerer, Ray Malmström: C/L 1/2A, January 1970 Bonanza and Mustang, David
Thornburg: FF HLG, January 1971 Clodhopper, Paul Denson: FF Rubber February 1973...
 Every month in Model Aviation, the
AMA's monthly publication, there is a "Safety" column that reports on model-related
accidents and issues like not charging Li−Po batteries in appropriate containers,
not smoking around glow fuel and gasoline, not flipping your propeller with a bare
finger, etc. Many moons ago the big safety concern was not flying control line models
too near to high voltage power lines. This photo from the April 1957 edition of
American Modeler shows some guy attempting to retrieve a radio control
model from its landing spot
atop a set of telegraph
wires. He is standing on a barbed wire fence using a wooden pole to prod it
off the lines. The captions asks, "Who knows line voltage?"
 "Aquitivity
Roundup" was a monthly column in American Modeler magazine (the precursor to
American Aircraft Modeler, precursor to the current Model Aviation). American Modeler
covered many aspects of modeling other than airplanes including rockets, boats,
cars, and to a lesser extent, trains and helicopters (helis were for experimenters
at the time). Radio control for models boats was in full swing by 1962, both for
engine and wind power. Just as with model airplanes, model boats were run as free
float (a la free flight - get it?), on a tether (a la control line) and
by remote control (could be via sound, light, or radio signals)...
 Your knowledge of model aircraft kits, engines,
and equipment will need to stretch back a couple decades to score 10 out of 10 on
this model-aircraft-themed quiz. 1) Which company manufactured the "Antic" series
of open frame R/C models? 4) What is the full last name of Sig Manufacturing's co-founder
Hazel Sig? 7) What type of models did Estes first produce? 10) What type of airplane
model construction was Cox Manufacturing famous for? Winners get a free 1-year subscription
to the Airplanes and Rockets website ;-) Good luck!
 The
Walter Ashe Radio Company, featured in this 1955 issue of Radio & Television
News magazine, was a British radio manufacturer that operated from the 1920s
to the 1950s. The company was founded by Walter Ashe, who was an engineer and inventor.
In the early days, the company produced crystal radios, which were simple radios
that used a piece of crystal to detect radio waves. However, the company quickly
expanded its product range to include valve radios, which were more advanced and
offered better sound quality. During World War II, the company produced radios for
the British armed forces, including the famous "Gibson Girl" portable radio, which
was used by soldiers in the field. After the war, the company continued to produce
radios for the civilian market, including the popular "Waverley" series of radios.
In the 1950s, the company began to face increasing competition from foreign manufacturers,
and it struggled to keep up with the rapidly changing technology in the radio industry...
 Here is the article and plans for the "Insect"
that I electronically scanned from my purchased copy of the April 1970 American
Aircraft Modeler magazine.
Rogallo Wings were
all the rage in the 1970s as hang gliding was really gaining in popularity, so the
modeling world joined in the fun. An article for the R/C Flexi-Flier, complete with
a G.I. Joe pilot, was published four years after this free flight model. Plans for
this fine model were drawn by Bill Warner. Because they spanned two pages, I had
to adjust the size and alignment a bit to get the halves to line up properly. They
were printed full-size in the magazine, so to get the right size when printing,
you will need to do some trial and error. There really is no need to even print
plans, because dimensions for the parasol components are shown, and the remaining
few pieces can be scaled accordingly...
 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)...
 As open space becomes more and more scare
in populated areas all up and down the East Coast, the Great Lakes region, and similar
sections of the country, free flight activities are increasingly difficult to contemplate.
The same goes for model rocketry. All of the fields I used to fly from in the Mayo
(Annapolis), Maryland, area when in my teens back in the early to mid 1970s were
long ago turned into housing developments, commercial office or retail outlet stores.
It used to be a simple matter of loading an airplane or rocket into my 1969 Camaro
and driving a few miles to a school yard or an empty lot behind a strip mall, but
not so much anymore. Even if you do manage to locate a suitable flying area, there
are usually signs posted warning of prosecution for trespassing (often made necessary
due to our overly litigious society). School athletic fields are typically cluttered
with soccer nets and other permanent structures. Whenever I see photos in articles
like this one for a
free flight towed glider model, I am struck by the starkness of the landscape
in the background. It seems today you need to me in a Midwest farm field, in the
High Plains, or Southwest deserts to find ample open areas...
 Here 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...
 Here is a fairly unique free flight rubber
model named the "Scotch
Monoped" partly due to its having a single wheel and partly due to its designer
being of Scottish heritage. It is of simple stick and tissue construction, and full-sized
planes were published in the December 1939 issue of Flying Aces magazine. "Scotty"
Mayors says he made it inherently stable under all conditions by providing lots
of side area in the fuselage and dual vertical fins. The airfoil is a rather thick
flat-bottomed section. A look at the open framework reveals that minimum weight
was a goal, since even the wing ribs have lightening holes cut in them. I forgot
to scan the wing plan sheet...
 World War II had only been over three
years when the U.S. Navy began
jet fighter operations from aircraft carriers. Angled decks had
not even entered service when the North American FJ-1 Fury jet fighters made the
first takeoffs and landing on the straight−deck USS Boxer. The USS Forrestal, our
first angled deck carrier, was commissioned in 1951. This story appeared in a 1948
issue of Popular Science magazine. Note the huge clock on deck which was
photographed upon being triggered by the airplane hooking an arrestor line, so that
a precise lending time would be recorded. The way the picture is taken, it looks
like a perspective trick to make a small clock look much larger than it actually
was. I like the fact that Lt. Comdr. Robert Elder took a wave−off on a first approach
in order to give his skipper, Comdr. Evan (Pete) Aurand the honor of the first−ever
jet aircraft landing at sea. Nowadays, computers routinely fly jet−powered drones
off of and onto carrier decks...
 As you can tell from all the vintage modeling
and electronics magazine I own and use to post various article, I am prone to waxing
nostalgic about the days of yore. Being born in 1958, I am part of the last generation
of people brought up at a time when patriotism, courtesy, manners, and civility
was taught in school and in the public square by fellow citizens and even politicians.
However, there are limits to my desire to enjoy the environment of the good 'ole
days, and one of them is the need to build (often), tune, and repair nearly all
the electronic equipment used in model aviation and model boating activities. This
"Radio
Controlled Model Sailboat" article from a 1948 issue of Radio News
magazine is a prime example of what I mean. While knowing how to do all the work
involved in the system created by these two Raytheon engineers is a great achievement,
the work involved is extremely time consuming and takes away significantly from
the time actually spent enjoying sailing the boat. Modern compact, powerful, reliable,
relatively inexpensive, fully proportional, feature-packed radio systems are much
preferred over the former. Here is a short tale of my own venture into R/C sailboating
with a Thunder Tiger Victoria sloop, circa 2000...
 On July 3, 2009, Melanie and I treated our
daughter, Sally, and her husband, Matt, to a day sail adventure aboard the
Flagship Niagara, based here in
her home port of Erie, Pennsylvania. The day was perfect, with winds at around 10
knots on Lake Erie, temperatures were in the mid 70s, and an overcast sky that kept
the sweat factor to a minimum. We set sail from Dobbins Landing, which is next-door
to the Brig Niagara's home dock at the Erie Maritime Museum. Pictures of our adventure
are below, and a nice overview video produced by Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
is at the bottom. There is also a video I made of an actual cannon firing demonstration.
Captain Walter Rybka was in command. From the ship's website: "Flagship of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, the Flagship Niagara is also a major museum "exhibit" when in homeport.
The Niagara in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a reproduction of the relief flagship of Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry in a major naval battle of the War of 1812. On September 10,
1813, nine small ships...
 By 1960 when this "And
Aweigh They Go!" article appeared in the Annual edition of Air Trails magazine,
radio control systems had advanced to where they were providing a semblance of proportional
control, were smaller in volume and weight (thanks to semiconductors rather than
vacuum tubes), and were more affordable and reliable. Model engines, too, were more
convenient and easier to operate thank to the advent of glow fuel and glow plugs
rather than gasoline and spark ignition systems. Some modelers still employed the
older equipment or a mix of old and new, but the serious contenders did then as
they do now by tending to go with the latest and greatest engines, electronics,
hardware, and construction techniques. The model boats featured here are examples
of the latter...
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)...
 Just 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. |
