Thoughts from the workbench of Radical RC. The online retailer of electronics and kits for radio control aircraft. Dave Thacker shares his thoughts and knowledge of electronics, batteries, kit design and overall enjoyment of the hobby.
German automation company Festo has created an extraordinary helium-filled flying object that propels itself through the air by repeatedly turning itself inside-out.
SmartInversion combines an extremely lightweight body….. Read all about it at Wired.co.uk
You’ve got to love nose art and warbird photos. Great photo thread on Mission4Today forum.
More on Smokey’s Lucky Witch: Information obtained from NavSource Online at: USS GAMBIER BAY (CVE-73)
Ensign Darrell C. Bennett, A-V(N), USNR, stands beside his plane, a General Motors FM-2 Wildcat fighter, on board USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73), 1 August 1944. Note pinup art and nickname “Smokey’s Lucky Witch” adorning the engine cowling; what appears to be a Composite Squadron Ten (VC-10) insignia below the cockpit windshield; plane numbers (“27”) in white on the wing leading edge and in black under the lip of the cowling; and Ensign’s Bennett’s flight gear and .45 caliber M1911A1 pistol carried in a shoulder holster.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-243864).
Doug Bennett comments: “Ensign Darrell C. Bennett had an older brother stationed on the St. Lo. Both were stationed on their ships when they sank AND both are still alive [as of May 2009]! They are my uncles.”
Discovery Channel’s: Wings – F4F Wildcat and F4F Hellcat
Dogfights: The Zero Killer
Wiki: Grumman F4F Wildcat
Research your own WWII family history. Records section of the National Archives for World War II.
Fantastic video shared with us from the The Wright Experience”.
Described by YouTube’s “N104f” as follows:
On special occasions The Wright Experience starts this engine … the engine (Wright Bros No. 20) was built under the direct supervision of Mr. Charles E. Taylor. Mr. Taylor also built the 1903 engine which powered the world’s first heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903 to the Wright’s specifications. This 1910 engine was started on June 17, 2000 for the first time after being in storage for more than 80 years. At that time No. 20 was the only Wright artifact “doing work” and is considered a “National Treasure” by those associated with it.
Present at this start … October 30, 2007 … were ArthurF, SalG, AntonioQ, BobB and JimD. GregC, master “engine mechanician” was in charge of the operation. Ray, a long time, The Wright Experience, associate, can be seen looking on in the background. Those of us familiar with this engine and its importance to our aviation heritage are drawn to its sound like moths to a lamp. Note: Those present at a start up are asked to sign the engine’s log. This engine powered aeroplanes as they accomplished many of aviation’s firsts. It powered the flight when New York City was first filmed from the air and many other such activities too numerous to mention here. The large galvanized tank adjacent to the engine is there to provide water for engine cooling … the aircraft radiator is not used for demonstrations. Suspended above the engine is a small gas tank used for demonstrations. The “fan” or “club” replaces the propeller and is reproduced here exactly like the one used by Mr. Taylor and the Brothers.
For further information go to a www.wrightexperience.com”.
Home website of “The Naked Scientists” with many excellent science and engineering podcasts.
Home of the Wright Experience where you can hear and see 85 year old Charlie Taylor.
Listen carefully, he’s talking about flights that predated what the Wrights considered the first sucessful flights. On the Dec 14th they damaged the aircraft and didn’t consider those flights a success. If you are lucky enough to know an old man, be sure to take time to listen to them. There is wisdom in that age you won’t soon aquire otherwise.
Please Tweet, Post or do whatever you can to help me the the news out to pilots that might want to fly their early aviation models at the Wright Aero Carnival at Huffman Prarie.
I am working with the National Parks to bring demonstration flying of early aircraft to the Wright Aero Carnival at Huffman Prairie. The Carnival is a celabration of the Wright Brothers and early aviation. Models may be brought for demonstration flying of any aircraft through 1916. All models are welcome, not only Wright machines. You may bring any aircraft, Curtiss, Langley, Bleriot, many WWI aircraft qualify, even controversal or failed aircraft are welcome. Essentially anything the Wrights might have read news accounts of, hear rumors of, anything that might have been part of the what was going on in the development of flight up to 1916. All of these aircraft help to tell the story of early aviation and that is the point of participating in the event. Flying will be from 10am to Noon and 1pm to 3pm on Saturday August 18, 2012. The public will be in attendance. It’s is a very special and rare opportunity to get a photo of you and your aircraft flying at the worlds first airport, Huffman Prairie.
Aircraft need not be museum scale. Stand off scale, is welcome also. Models of any size are welcome. We will be flying over the same grass as the Wrights flew over. A paved road ajoining the field is available for a runway. I plan to be there with my 1905 kit which is stand off scale. Won’t you bring your model an help fill in the story of early flight?
Flying is not allowed at Huffman Prairie at any other time.
Please contact me if you can come. davthacker77@aol.com (remove the 77, it’s there to foil spam email spiders) There is a limit of 10 pilot slots for this event.
This rare opportunity to fly at Huffman Prairie is also a great way to set a positive example for modeling with the US Airforce and the National Parks Service. Decision makers within the National Parks Service across the country will be reading accounts of this event. What you do here in Dayton on August 18 could have a big impact on modelers elsewhere in the country.
View Larger MapMap showing overall area including I-75, I-70 & I-675 highways.
View Larger Map
On the day of the event, you’ll enter at the Golf Course and follow the signs in. (zoom the map 1 level + to see the road names) On the map above, the west end of Pylon Road will be closed. You’ll drive around the field by following Hebble Creek to right on Marl to right on Symmes to right on Pylon. Our pit area will be between the replica launch derrick and Pylon road at the turn circle.
The view from the flying area of our pit area.
Check out the Wright Broghters Aeroplane Company website for more Wright Aircraft information in one single spot than anyplace else on the web.
It takes alot of courage…..