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Home Page Archive (page 1)

These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items that you remember seeing on the Airplanes and Rockets homepage. Of course probably the easiest way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search AAR" box at the top of every page.

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Lite-Brite by Hasbro

Lite-Brite by Hasbro - Airplanes and RocketsWhen Melanie and I got married in 1983, part of her dowry included some of the toys she had as a little girl. A Hasbro Lite-Brite was one of them. Our kids played with it when they were young, but somewhere along the line during our many household moves, it disappeared. We probably donated it to the Salvation Army at some point - a lot of our stuff has ended up there. About a month ago we started watching for a good one on eBay that didn't cost too much ...

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strip - January 4, 1942

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: January 4, 1942 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and Rockets

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. This is the January 4, 1942, Flyin' Jenny comic strip. I expect that soon there will be World War II themes ...

Super Wood Could Replace Steel

Super Wood Could Replace Steel - RF Cafe"Engineers at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) have found a way to make wood more than 10 times times stronger and tougher than before, creating a natural substance that is stronger than many titanium alloys. 'This new way to treat wood makes it 12 times stronger than natural wood and 10 times tougher,' said Liangbing Hu of UMD's A. James Clark School of Engineering and the leader of the team that did the research. 'This could be a competitor to steel or even titanium alloys, it is so ..."

Oaken Paper Towel Holder

Paper Towel Holder Project (made from oak flooring) - Airplanes and RocketsOne of the first woodworking projects I remember doing after Melanie and I were married and in our own house was making a paper towel holder out of some scrap pieces of oak flooring. The wood was in the basement of the house, probably from when it was originally installed sometime in the 1950s. A few pieces were glued together along their tongue and groove edges, and then scraped and sanded to a smooth, flat surface. The bottom curved relief shape was retained for character. At some point during our many household moves, the paper towel holder disappeared - we probably donated it as with ...

Suzy Homemaker Items, 1967 Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalog

Suzy Homemaker Items, 1967 Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalog - Airplanes and RocketsLike many little girls who were born in the 1960s, Melanie had a small collection of Suzy Homemaker toy appliances. Old photographs from birthdays and Christmases past document the times they were received. Melanie had the Suzy Homemaker Oven / Stove and the Suzy Homemaker Clothes Iron. Since hers was long gone my the time we got married in 1983, we decided to look for them on eBay. As with just about everything ever made, we easily found them in nice condition. Neither the oven nor the iron came with their original boxes because those are very expensive. This page of Suzy Homemaker products appeared ...

C–47 That Led D-Day Flies Again

C–47 That Led D-Day Flies Again - Airplanes and Rockets"With photographers poised to capture the moment and spectators watching in person and from all over the world online, the C–47 "That's All, Brother" took off from Wittman Regional Airport on a clear, blustery afternoon, circling the airport and concluding the brief flight with an overhead pass, accompanied by a Beechcraft Bonanza chase plane. The flight crew included pilot-in-command Doug Rozendaal, second-in-command Tom Travis, and engineer Ray Claussen. According to the Commemorative Air Force, which acquired and restored the airplane. The Oshkosh flight, the first ..."

Hobby People Ad, March 1970, American Aircraft Modeler

Hobby People Ad, March 1970, American Aircraft Modeler - Airplanes and Rockets

This particular Hobby People advertisement is from page 53 of the March 1970 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. Hobby People was probably the first company that I ever did mail order from to get airplane supplies. Hobby People is no longer in operation. All copyrights (if any) are hereby acknowledged. Use the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator to see what items cost in today's dollars. For instance, that $3.99 "Cox .049 Babe Bee" engine would be $26.16 in 2018 money. The "regular" price of $6.00 would be $39.34 in 2018. Cox International ...

Maple Picture Frame with Crewel Needlework

Maple Picture Frame with Crewel Needlework - Airplanes and RocketsAfter just 33 years, this crewel picture that Melanie stitched is complete and has a custom frame. If memory serves correctly, we bought the crewel kit at a Ben Franklin store in Severna Park, Maryland, in 1985 while living in Arnold, Maryland. She started it shortly after getting it, and then it was put away until last year, 2017, when she decided to complete the project. Most, if not all, of the needlework pictures Melanie has done over the years have been placed in custom frames made by me. I've used pine, oak, teak, hickory, mahogany, and now maple for this frame. The maple wood ...

Rocket Lab's Electron Rocket Successfully Reaches Orbit for 1st Time

Rocket Lab's Electron Rocket Successfully Reaches Orbit for 1st Time - Airplanes and Rockets"RocketLab has successfully launched their Electron Rocket. It took three small satellites into orbit. The company is preparing for a possible Moon mission later this year. U.S.-based spaceflight startup company, Rocket Lab completed their second successful test flight this weekend reaching orbit for the first time. The company's Electron rocket launched from New Zealand at 2:43 PM local time on Sunday, and successfully deployed three commercial satellites about eight and a half minutes later. This was Electron's first full ..."

Shape Memory Alloy Key to Morphing Wings on Experimental Aircraft

Shape Memory Alloy Key to Morphing Wings on Experimental Aircraft - Airplanes and Rockets"NASA has successfully used a heat-activated shape memory alloy to morph an aircraft's wings in flight tests, an advance with potential benefits for subsonic and future supersonic aircraft. The flights which took place at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, was part of the SAW (Spanwise Adaptive Wing) project that aims to validate the use of a lightweight material to fold the outer portions of aircraft wings and their control surfaces to optimal angles in flight. SAW ..."

Engine Idling Secrets

Engine Idling Secrets, December 1962 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsPrior to the widespread use of mufflers on radio controlled model aircraft engines, exhaust dampers were installed that worked in unison with the throttle. They were oblong or butterfly-shaped flat pieces of metal that pivoted in the center and were connected via a short pushrod to the carburetor's throttle arm. At full throttle, the damper was straight up and down to block the exhaust port as little as possible. At idle, the damper usually totally blocked off the exhaust port; of course some exhaust was still able to exit or the engine would choke out and stop running. The first R/C engines I used in the 1970's came with exhaust dampers ...

Shoe Rack Project

Shoe Rack Project - Airplanes and RocketsOur one-car garage does not have a lot of extra space in it, especially considering it also holds a riding lawn mower, a snow blower, a backup power generator, and various and sundry yard and car tools. That doesn't leave much room for the assortment of shoes and boots needed by Melanie and me. We had been using a stack of cinder blocks to stuff shoes in, but they looked rather crude and the holes were not really big enough to allow the shoes to be fully enclosed. After completing building a set of stairs into the basement, there were end pieces of the stair treads left over that were just the right width to fit into the space where the cinder blocks used to be stacked. 2x3 framing lumber ...

Amateur Astronomer Captures Supernova's First Light

Amateur Astronomer Victor Buso Captures Supernova's First Light - RF CafeAnother important discovery by an amateur scientist has occurred. Mr. Víctor Buso was testing a new CCD camera on a 16" personal telescope from his home in Víctor Buso telescope supernova - RF CafeArgentina when he noticed a star suddenly appeared in an exposure. It then grew in brightness over successive exposures. He had captured the very first sighting of a supernova in its initial stage of exploding. Realizing the gravity of his discovery, he alerted the astronomy community. Astronomical research institutions worldwide immediately trained their telescopes on the event to make detailed scientific measurements. Interestingly, this all occurred in September of 2016, but is just now making headlines everywhere ...

Vintage Gooseneck Lamp Restoration

Vintage Gooseneck Lamp Restoration - Airplanes and RocketsWhile perusing the local Goodwill store, Melanie and I happened upon this old gooseneck lamp. Unlike most of the newer models found in places like Walmart, this one is made of heavy stamped steel, and the gooseneck part is very sturdy with no plastic. When you bend this lamp into position, it stays exactly where you put it without reflexing back a little. It was just what Melanie needed for use on her sewing table, so we bought it as a fixer-upper. As can be seen in the photos, the original condition was useable, but not ...

The Stanzels of Schulenburg

The Stanzels of Schulenburg, January 1961 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsA couple years ago I posted an article about the Victor Stanzel ElectroMic "Copter" Tethered Helicopter that I had bought on eBay. It was just like the one I had as a pre-teen in the 1960's. If memory serves me correctly, I also had one of the ElectroMic Flash Tethered Airplanes as well. Someday I'll probably buy one of those on eBay. The webpage hyperlinked above has a video embedded that tells the story of the Stanzel Brothers' Model Airplane Museum. You will be amazed at all the types of models they produced - powered airplanes, gliders, helicopters, flying saucers. They were a couple of the earliest pioneers in manufacturing ready ...

Ronald Valentine's Smallest Engines in the World

Ronald Valentine's Smallest Engines in the World - Airplanes and RocketsRonald Valentine engines is one of the very few manufacturers remaining of miniature model aircraft engines - both glow fuel and diesel, single- and multi-cylinder. Prices are amazingly reasonable, too. "We are the manufacturers of the world's smallest model engines. We have been manufacturing miniature model engines for over 30 years. We specialized in 2-stroke diesel engines for model airplanes, boat and cars. Next to this we manufacture multi-cylinder engines 2-stroke and 4-stroke as glow or diesel engines. Our challenge is to develop and present the world's finest ..."

SR-72 "Son of Blackbird" Could Be Back - and Hypersonic

SR-72 Hypersonic Spy Plane - Airplanes and Rockets"For years, Lockheed Martin Corp. has been developing a successor to one of the fastest aircraft the world has seen, the SR-71 Blackbird, the Cold War reconnaissance craft that the U.S. Air Force retired almost three decades ago. Lockheed officials have said the hypersonic SR-72 - dubbed the 'Son of Blackbird' by one trade journal - could fly by 2030. But a rather curious talk last week at an aerospace conference by a Lockheed Skunk Works executive implied that the SR-72 might already exist ..."

Review of Russian Airpower

Review of Russian Airpower, February 1942 Flying Aces - Airplanes and RocketsAircraft historians might find the information from this 1942 edition of Flying Aces magazine useful. As has long been the case on many Russian airplanes and helicopters, the basic outlines - and often even the details - are recognizable from the original versions designed by the United States, England, and Germany. The Russkies have been short on design and test capabilities and long on materials, manpower, and espionage agents. It wouldn't be so bad if the copying was not so obvious. Even their attempt at a space shuttle was a carbon copy of ours. If not for their leaders' commitment to Communism and Socialism, Russia could be ...

Float Like a Robot, Think Like a Bee

Float Like a Robot, Think Like a Bee - Airplanes and Rockets"Cornell University engineers have been experimenting with a new type of programming that mimics the mind of an insect. The developed sensors and algorithms may soon support autonomous, small-scale robots like Harvard University's RoboBee, an 80-milligram flier that could perform a variety of roles in agriculture and disaster relief. Even the most lifelike bug-bot could be thrown off by a gust of wind or a mid-air obstacle. Cornell's sensing system aims to steer a RoboBee around trouble, adjusting its flight to avoid ..."

James Webb Space Telescope Completes End-to-End Test

James Webb Space Telescope Completes Critical End-to-End Test - Airplanes and Rockets"NASA's $8.8B James Webb Space Telescope has completed critical end-to-end testing in a giant vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center, proving the telescope will work properly in the deep cold of space, bring starlight to a sharp focus and precisely track its astronomical targets when launched in 2019, engineers said Wednesday. 'The successful completion of this test represents a very significant milestone for JWST,' said Bill Ochs, the telescope's project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. 'It verified the alignment of the telescope ..."

How to Bend Music Wire Landing Gear (video)

How to Bend Music Wire Landing Gear (video) - Airplanes and RocketsI am in the process of building a control line C-47 Skytrain model using plans drawn by Walter Musciano. I knew making the scale landing gear was going to be a challenge because it requires bending two pieces of 1/8" music wire with six 90° bends apiece. It seems easy enough in theory, but in practice getting the opposing axel end to line up in opposition is not trivial. Making the first one took two tries, as did the second one. the problem was that the two did not match each other very well. I tried fudging it by bending some weird angles to get the spacing right, but the lengths of the legs were different enough ...

Model World on the International Scene - January 1968

Model World on the International Scene (January 1968 American Aircraft Modeler) - Airplanes and RocketsDecember 1967 was the last edition of the Academy of Model Aeronautics' American Modeler magazine, and this January 1968 edition of American Aircraft Modeler was the first with the new name. Interestingly, editor Bill Winter does not mention the name change in his monthly "Straight and Level" column. For that matter, I checked up through the May issue and still no mention. Printing and distribution lagged publication for many months back in the day, but usually comments of previous editions began appearing within three or four months. Nothing. Anyway, here are some ...

Video: Model Rocketry - "The Last Frontier" - 1977

Video: Model Rocketry - "The Last Frontier" - 1977 - Airplanes and RocketsWilliam Shatner (aka "Captain Kirk" of the original "Star Trek" television series) hosted this 1977 video produced by Estes Industries. Titled, Model Rocketry - "The Last Frontier", it shows not only snapshots of various Estes model rockets, but also video of actual launches from cameras mounted on the rockets and cameras mounted at the base of the launch pad - pretty cool for the day! ...

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strip - December 28, 1941

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: December 28, 1941 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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 ...

Flite Kite  .049-Powered Box Kite

Flite Kite, April 1957 American Modeler - Airplanes and RocketsThere is an old adage about aircraft that says with enough power just about anything can be made to fly. The F-4 Phantom and F-104 Starfighter jets are prime examples. In 1957, kids and adults were still obsessed with flying machines and created all sorts of crazy craft. Flying dog houses, witches on brooms, flying doors, flying lawnmowers, and flying outhouses were popular novelty projects. Ken Willard even created a Flying Bandana. This Cox .049-powered box kite doesn't fall into the same category as an F-4 Phantom, but it does apply as far as making anything fly if you hang an engine on it. Although author McLarty claims you can adapt a toy store box kite ...

Quiz #1: Models and Manufacturers

Quiz #1: Models and Manufacturers - Airplanes and RocketsYour 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. Winners get a free 1-year subscription to the Airplanes and Rockets website. Good luck ...

Unmanned Helicopter Enables Rapid Resupply

Unmanned Helicopter Enables Rapid Resupply - Airplanes and Rockets"Autonomy options for the Marine Corps have taken a major step forward, as the Office of Naval Research completed a helicopter flight demonstration with autonomous capability that will enable the Marine Corps to rapidly resupply forces on the front lines. The system consists of a sensor and software package that can be integrated into any manned or unmanned rotary-wing aircraft to detect and avoid obstacles in unfavorable weather conditions ..."

RC Hobbies on Air, by Jose Lozano

RC Hobbies on Air, by Jose Lozano - Airplanes and RocketsMr. Jose Lozano wrote recently to let me know about his RC drone resources website called RC Hobbies on Air. As with many people these days, Jose appears to have really become a drone (multirotor) enthusiast - enough so to create an entire website dedicated to helping others decide what is the best way to get started with RC drones. He gives a rundown on features and characteristics of various modern drone models. If you have been considering getting into RC drones, then you might want to give his site a looking over ...

Queen of the R/C Fleet: U.S.S. California Battlewagon

Queen of the R/C Fleet: U.S.S. California Battlewagon, March 1957 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsRadio-controlled battleship combat is a major sport these days with serious "players" investing thousands of dollars into their craft. The all-electric model boats are scale replicas of actual battleships and sport multiple screws (propellers), bilge pumps, gyro stabilizers, fully motorized and steerable gun turrets complete with CO2-powered BB-shooting guns. The models take hundreds of hours to build, rig, and test. The objective is, after all, to literally sink your opponent's ship! The California model in this American Modeler magazine article actually carried "twelve 38-cals and ten 22s" - something you won't find today ...

The Best of EAA's 2017 AirVenture

The Best of EAA's 2017 AirVenture - Airplanes and Rockets"If you were there in person, you already know: AirVenture 2017 was a big success. If you missed this year's excitement in Oshkosh, let the numbers tell you everything you need to know. More than half a million people attended, making this the biggest AirVenture ever, and those guests were treated to more than 10,000 aircraft and so many thrilling air shows. We'd say EAA has its work cut out to make the 2018 show better than this one, but we won't be shocked when it happens. So much happened at this year's AirVenture that it was almost impossible to cover it all, but here's a look back at some of our favorite ..."

Gee Bee R-1 and R-2: Air Racing with World's Fastest Pony Kegs:

Gee Bee R-1 and R-2: Air Racing - Airplanes and Rockets"Today it's impossible to think of the golden age of air racing without an R-1 or R-2 Gee Bee roaring across the mind's eye. To the aviation public, the Gee Bees air racing - and vice versa. And that's only right. When Granville engineer, Pete Miller, drafted the first lines for the 'R' series of Super Sportsters, there was no way he could have known that he was designing a legend. And an airplane that would have people shaking their heads for the next 70 years. In fact, since the last Gee Bee roared around a pylon in 1933/34 there have been no ..."

Sites Are Great in Kansas City

Sites Are Great in Kansas City from August 1962 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsKansas City Radio Control Association (KCRC) has been around for many decades. Its AMA club number of #390 was assigned in 1954. That was 66 years ago as of this writing, but it was only 8 years old when this feature article appeared in American Modeler magazine. Since at least 1962, the KCRC flying field (now named "Charles W. Reed III Flying Field") has been located just west of Lake Jocomo, in Kanas City. This article discusses not just the KCRC flying site, but many of the others in the surrounding area. I count 11 on the included map, including parks, schools, and parking lots. It is interesting to compare the maps ...

First Helicopter Flight, November 13, 1907

First Helicopter Flight, November 13, 1907 - Airplanes and Rockets"On 13 November 1907, French engineer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu made history by becoming the first man to fly in a rotary wing aircraft. The primitive helicopter - a twin-rotor craft powered by a 24-horsepower engine - only lifted Cornu about 1.5m off the ground, holding him there for 20 seconds at Coquainvilliers, near Lisieux in France. But that was enough for Cornu to take his place in the history books as the first man to successfully fly a rotary wing aircraft. Paul Cornu was born in 1881 in the French town of Lisieux, where the local high school is named after him to this day. Once he reached working age, he joined his father ..."

The Wasp Engine's Great Leap Forward

The Wasp Engine's Great Leap Forward - Airplanes and Rockets"The only aircraft engine to be designated an historic landmark. Advances in propulsion are what drive aviation development. Innovative airplanes almost always start with innovative engines, and the airframes follow. In 2016, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers celebrated just such an engine. The society designated the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp a technology landmark, the organization’s highest award, because the Wasp singlehandedly brought about a leap forward in aircraft performance and economics. The tale of its development is still ...

Hobbico Files for Bankruptcy - Goodbye Tower Hobbies & Great Planes?

Hobbico Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Airplanes and RocketsTower Hobbies and Great Planes Bankruptcy - Airplanes and RocketsAnother great American company is circling the drain! I've been a contented Tower Hobbies customer since the 1970s. "Hobbico filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, which could result in 332 layoffs at its Champaign facility. In a statement, Hobbico said that it plans to sell the company and will continue operating throughout the bankruptcy process. Hobbico also said that as it has grown, it has added too much debt and hasn’t been able to successfully restructure, especially facing 'an increasingly competitive industry, market headwinds and a series of one-off events with key suppliers." Hobbico was formed in 1986 when Clint Atkins combined two companies he bought: Don Anderson's Great Planes Model Distributors and Bruce Holecek's Tower Hobbies, which was founded in 1971 ...

Short Snorter Flying Wing C/L Model

Short Snorter, October 1958 American Modeler Magazine - Airplanes and RocketsIf you are looking for a little bit different type of control line model, then Short Snorter might fit the bill. It was designed by George Hinz and appeared in the October 1958 issue of American Modeler magazine. Short Snorter is .20 to .35-size stunt or combat model that is essentially a flying wing, and features a built-up fuselage and wing. The wingspan is around 40", but of course since you will be printing the plans, you can make the model larger or smaller. standard construction materials and methods are used throughout. Mr. Hinz cautions about making certain that the center of gravity is properly located since a tail ...

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strip - December 21, 1941

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: December 21, 1941 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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 ...

Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Registration Service

Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Registration Service - Airplanes and RocketsOn December 12, 2017, President Trump signed legislation that has the effect of reversing the earlier court ruling in the John Taylor case and restore the FAA's sUAS registration requirement, including for AMA members. "AMA believes that registration makes sense at some level, but has pushed for a more reasonable threshold. While we address these issues, members will be legally required to comply with the FAA registration requirement." It does not make sense to me because as usual, law-abiding people suffer the inconvenience and cost of legislation, while the majority do as they please. Fortunately, I kept my registration card from January of 2016 when this outrageous scheme began ...

Modeling Magazines: Past and Present

Modeling Magazines: Past and Present - Airplanes and RocketsHere is a list of many classic modeling magazines that are now or have been in print within the last decade or so. Unfortunately, most of these magazines are now out of print. Some have disappeared altogether while others have online-only editions. Fortunately, though, a few benevolent souls have taken it upon themselves to scan hundreds of past issues and made them available in PDF format at no charge to everyone. The Archive.org website's Wayback Machine™ has captured many years worth of the magazines' webpages, so all ...

Are Flying Cars Coming to the Skies?

Are Flying Cars Coming to the Skies? by John Hawthorne - Airplanes and RocketsMr. John Hawthorne contacted me recently about an article he published on the IQS Directory website titled "Are Flying Cars Coming to the Skies?" It reviews two most notable examples of research and development by companies - AeroMobil, Terrafugia (Latin for "escape the earth") - and mentions Uber's ambition of providing rooftop taxi service in high traffic urban areas. We are still a long way off from the goal of flying cars being a common sight, or ever a rare one for most of us. There are still many technical, safety, and regulatory obstacles to overcome before you or I will be transitioning our person ride from an automobile to an airplane or helicopter anytime soon.

AMA Now Offering Commercial Drone Insurance

AMA Now Offering Commercial Drone Insurance - Airplanes and RocketsThe Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) just announced in the January 2018 issue of Model Aviation that they are now offering commercial drone insurance. Liability insurance with protection of $½ million, $1 million, $2 million or more is available, plus you can also get hull insurance on the drone platform itself. AMA Membership is required for purchase, but you do not need to be a member to get a quote using the online form. ...

Stealth Drone Has No Moving Surfaces at All

Stealth Drone Has No Moving Surfaces at All - Airplanes and Rockets"BAE Systems has unveiled a new aircraft design that could be a major advance in stealth technology. The new MAGMA drone does away with aircraft control surfaces, resulting in an aircraft whose shape remains constant throughout its entire flight. The small demonstration aircraft, which has completed a successful first flight, uses blown air to change direction instead of complex mechanical controls. Most airplanes look unmoving in flight, like a wing hanging off a giant tube plowing through the sky. Look more closely however and you'll see smaller ..."

R/C at the Nationals, November 1953 Air Trails

R/C at the Nationals, November 1953 Air Trails - Airplanes and RocketsRadio controlled aircraft were really still in their infancy in 1953. Many R/C transmitters, receivers - all vacuum tube circuits - were beginning to appear in hobby magazines, but other than operating in FCC-designated frequency bands, there was not much in the way of standardization in modulation schemes. Therefore, intercompatibility between brands - or even between model types within a brand - was not guaranteed. The names you see mentioned here - Hal deBolt, Walt Good, Howard McEntee, Claude McCullough - were for a long time the most prominent figures ...

Reconstructing NASA's Moon-Mission Audio

Reconstructing NASA's Moon-Mission Audio - RAirplanes and Rockets"You've heard, 'One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind,' but how about a lesser-known quotation from the Apollo lunar mission like: 'Ok, we still got radar landing guidance.' The University of Texas at Dallas launched a project to make all of the moon-mission audio accessible, from the memorable to the mundane. Dr. John H.L. Hansen, Chengzhu Yu, Dr. Abhijeet Sangwan, and Lakshmish Kaushik pose with a model of an astronaut at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. The four oversaw the project to ..."

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strip - December 14, 1941

Flyin' Jenny Comic Strips: December 14, 1941 Baltimore Morning Sun - Airplanes and RocketsThe 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 ...

An Interview with The Paper Airplane Guy, John Collins

An Interview with The Paper Airplane Guy, John Collins - Airplanes and RocketsJohn Collins is the undisputed Paper Airplane Guy. He set a new world record flight distance of 26 feet, 10 inches, in 2012. He wrote a book titled, The World Record Paper Airplane and International Award Winning Designs. This article is from an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show, and includes a video of Mr. Collins demonstrating how to fold and launch paper airplanes ...

Museum Launches 100th Anniversary of Airmail Exhibit Online

Museum Launches 100th Anniversary of Airmail Exhibit Online - Airplanes and Rockets"The San Diego Air & Space Museum's Library & Archives recently launched a new online exhibit commemorating the 100th Anniversary of U.S. Airmail. On a fog-shrouded May 15th, in 1918, the first airplane to provide regularly scheduled airmail service in the United States took off from the Potomac Park polo grounds in Washington, D.C., headed to New York City, a 218-mile route. Sponsored by the U.S. Post Office, and personally sent off by President Woodrow Wilson, this has proven to be a most important day in our nation's history ..."

 

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