CoolPix: Looking Back At Shuttle Endeavour (Looking Over Earth)

(click pic for hi-res)  Shuttle Endeavour during one of her 25 missions: 1992-2012

 I could say a lot about the decline of the United States of America since the 1960's... the decline in our accomplishments in the space program, along with the dramatic weakening of our wealth and super-power status. I could also say a lot about the diminished prospects for our future as we continue turn our back (under the influence and manipulation of the government and the mainstream media) on nearly all of the qualities and characteristics that made us stand apart from (and above) the other countries of the world. I could, but I won't. With the game nearly over, what's the point of it now?

 So instead, I'm just taking time to point out something beautiful. While the Space Shuttle Program seems a rather simple achievement compared to Apollo's moon mission, it was still a remarkable human accomplishment. This hi-res NASA image of Shuttle Endeavour during one of her 25 missions (1992-2012) definitely speaks to the wonder and beauty of putting the shuttle into orbit. And, now that I've seen Shuttle Discovery up close and personal at the NASM Udvar-Hazy facility during the recent AirPigz Museum MeetUp, seeing this image of Endeavour has a far greater impact on me.

 I miss the days when the United States of America was sending shuttles into space.

 I, miss America.

Video: Short & Sweet And On Her Feet (Nose Gear View) Cargo 777 Landing

 This little one-minute-and-three-second video is an appetizer for a bigger video that's said to be available soon from PilotsEye.tv, a German-based video production project that seeks to bring a detailed HD video experience of an entire flight from multiple camera perspectives. It appears there will be ongoing episodes as well. This very short version shows the gear extending on a Boeing 777 Cargo along with some of the approach and landing at Bergamo Airport (BGY) in Italy. 

 Based on the quality of the appetizer, I'd say it looks like the main course is gonna be quite tasty : )

Video screenshot of the Cargo 777 main gear extending - note the strake trails : )

Poll: Pick Your Fave Amphibious SLSA (ICON A5, SeaMax M-22 And The SeaRey)

Amphibians rock! Water, ground, and sky... all in one!  (Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey)

 Seriously, the combo of a flying machine that can fly off terra firma AND terra aqueous is pretty much the best ever. I've also learned that the people who fly of the water are extra special avgeeks, so if you're into this idea, then you're probably extra special too!

 As winter has taken another swift grip on me in my neck of the woods, I can't help but do some summer dreamin'... and a relatively affordable amphibious SLSA is what has me whipped into a frenzy today. Never mind that I can't afford any of these machines right now. But hey, I certainly hope I won't be this financially challenger forever - so I think I've got some very reasonable dreamin' going on here.

 There are three choices that I'm aware of when it comes to a factory-built LSA that's amphibious. The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey from Florida, the SeaMax M-22 from Brazil, and the ICON A5 from California (by way of the Cirrus factory in North Dakota) - maybe I should say two-and-a-half-choices since the A5 is still inching its way toward production. They do seem to be getting closer, but man, this sure is taking a LONG time.

The sexy but still not-really-in-production-yet ICON A5 amphibian SLSA
 

 Here's the way these three break down for me: If you want the sexiest looking machine that is also designed to take the effort (and skill) out of flying safely, then the ICON A5 is your choice, especially if you're not in any hurry to go out and have your fun. Overall performance isn't exactly known yet, but the A5 is the heaviest of the three. I'm not sure of the price either but it seems to be based on the 2008 quote of $139,000, but it might go well north from there to adjust for the fact that it's now 2013. And, if you order one today, you won't have it to play with til at least 2016.

 Btw, all three of these phibs use a version of the Rotax 912 water cooled engine that makes 100hp, and the SeaRey is also available with the 115 hp 914 engine as an option.

The Brazilian built SeaMax M-22 amphibian available now for $150,000
 

 The SeaMax M-22 is available right now for $150,000 and it's a design that's been around since 2001. It's the fastest of the three with a cruise speed of 115 mph, and like the A5, it offers a tricycle landing gear for those times you aren't landing on the water. The fact that it's a proven design that's available right now, along with a good cruise speed makes it an excellent choice.

Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey amphibian... now available as an SLSA for $125,000
 

 The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey SLSA is a production-built updated version of the very popular SeaRey kit that has been available for many years. A very proven design, the SLSA versions are in production right now and deliveries should begin soon. The SeaRey is the slowest of the three with a cruise speed of 90 mph, but for me, the combination of a canopy design that allows for one or both sides to be opened in flight, along with the taildragger gear configuration make the SeaRey the clear winner for me. And of course it doesn't hurt one bit that it's also the most affordable option for mixing your flying with water : )

 Those are my thoughts... but what do you think? Please vote in the poll below:

Video: Will You Take Your Russian AN-2 Biplane Waterskiing This Summer?

Disclaimer: the acts depicted in this video are not recommended, suggested or indorsed for anyone at anytime. However, if you feel you must take your airplane waterskiing this next summer, please be sure to do these two things: first, have enough cash in the bank to replace the (insert your beloved aircraft here) so you'll be prepared when the insurance company says "you did what?"... and second, it is recommended that have a good, right, and true relationship with Jesus as there is a good chance your spirit will soon be making a journey thru space to pay Him a visit!

 I've long understood that a great pilot can put the main tires of a taildragger on the water and have a fun-to-watch waterskiing adventure, but an average pilot will likely run into some very serious trouble giving it a go. Fortunately the pilot of this big ole Russian AN-2 biplane did a great job of rolling the mains in the water. You can get a pretty good sense for what's really going on if you look closely in these two passes as the airplane bounces a bit off the water. With enough velocity, the water is much more like a hard surface runway... but you sure better not slow down too much, and you sure better keep those tires from getting too deep in the water!

 You might have seen the video of the four T-6's waterskiing in South Africa back in 2006.... kinda makes this AN-2 stunt look positively boring.

 And remember, please don't try this at home!

CoolPix: Pitts Special As Art! Betty Skelton's 'Little Stinker' At Udvar-Hazy

(click pic for hi-res)  Betty Skelton's Pitts Special on display at the NASM/Udvar-Hazy

 I'm trying to find the time and energy to get a boatload of pix from the recent AirPigz National Air and Space Museum MeetUp posted, but my day job as a ceramic tile installer is more-than-full-time these days... plus I'm trying to develop an all new biz to produce a wildly successful packaged food item so my life as an underpaid ceramic tile installer can come to an abrupt end. That abrupt end is also where my career as a smiling-ear-to-ear aircraft owner is supposed to begin! But the bottom line right now is that there just aren't enough hours in the day.

 Anyway, I have found the time today (early before work and then over my lunch break) to post a CoolPix of a fabulous little airplane that was flown spectacularly by an amazing woman back in the late 40's. Betty Skelton won first place in three consecutive International Feminine Aerobatic Championships in '48, '49 and '50. The airplane in her first championship year was her 1929 Great Lakes, and the last two years were in this exact airplane, the Pitts Special that she had named 'Little Stinker'. However, that winning streak might not be too surprising when you realize that she actually made her first solo flight at age 12 in a 40hp Taylorcraft! Of course that wasn't legal, but it does appear to have been well within her capabilities. This woman was meant to fly, and nothing was going to stop her. When she met Curtiss Pitts and his little Pitts Special in 1948, the airplane had met the woman who would make it famous.

 It's especially interesting to note that this is the second Pitts Special ever built! The airplane is hanging upside down in the entrance to the Udvar-Hazy facility of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly Virginia. It's easy to not take much notice of the airplane as you enter in, but I hope when you get to the Udvar-Hazy (the next time or on your very first time), you'll take some time and really contemplate what that little red and white airplane represents. There's so much amazing history wrapped up in that little package... and it also makes for an awesome piece of classic art!

Betty in N22E, the second Pitts Special ever built by Curtiss Pitts  (photo: NASM)
 

 Betty had a massive amount of experience and opportunity to fly, to race cars, and to do all kinds of amazing things thru the 50's and 60's. Just as impressive as the fact that she had mad skills operating machines that move, Betty also had an incredible ability to remain a classy woman all along the way. She wasn't out to prove anything specific for the woman's movement, she just wanted to fly and to go fast. Rather than use her femininity to force her way or manipulate opportunities, Betty used her excellent skills to open the doors for her. She had a peaceful patience believing that the opportunities for women in flying would come in due time, and of course she was right. Betty Skelton was one amazing human being. She also spent many years in the advertising business working closely with GM, especially on the Corvette. 

 The amazing Betty Skelton passed away at age 85 on August 31, 2011.

 Back in 1999, Betty sat down for almost a 90 minute interview at the time when Eileen Collins was about to become the first female pilot (and first female commander) of the Space Shuttle on STS-93. This interview covers Betty's amazing life and it puts her graceful attitude on beautiful display. Click the video screenshot of Betty below to go to the video interview in the C-SPAN video library.

Click the screenshot to go to the 1999 84 minute C-SPAN interview with Betty Skelton
 

 You can expect more Betty Skelton history to come as I find the time to dig much deeper into the unique life of this very special woman.

Checking Out Interesting Avgeek Opinions In Recent AirPigz Polls

The 'voted very awesome' Piaggio P.180 Avanti!

 I really enjoy putting up polls for avgeeks to vote in, and I'll admit that it's partly to see what you think and mostly to try to make some sort of point. I've always considered myself a bit of an eccentric thinker... not a bizarre weirdo, but someone who makes a specific effort to look a little deeper and with a longer view in mind. So you can imagine that I'm both surprised and pleased to see that all of the recent polls I've put up have had the majority of votes swing in favor of my point of view. Either I'm getting less eccentric in my old age or there's a lot of really cool thinkers following my work here : )

 With all this in mind, I thought it would be good to point y'all to the AirPigz 'poll' category in case you've missed some of the more recent opportunities to sound off with your avgeek opinions. After you click the category link you can scroll down thru the last year-and-a-half of polls pretty quickly. If you go back too far you might catch some polls that were set up with a different website and they might not even function anymore. The current poll website I've been using has finally been a good and effective solution. 

 The 'Awesome or Ugly' polls have all swung in favor of the unique or odd aircraft that I have presented. I've intentionally picked aircraft that I ultimately felt were awesome in those polls, but I have been pleased to see that there is a lot of agreement there. I'm especially please that the Piaggio P.180 Avanti is running with an almost 85% 'Awesome' rating and only a little over 3% calling it ugly. That gives me a lot of hope for avgeeks everywhere!

The livery poll just barely agrees with my opinion of American's new paint: fail

 American Airlines has been dealing with a fair amount of displeasure over their recent paint change. I just have to say again: this is all you could come up with? I think this was a huge opportunity lost. When you make the commitment to repaint such a large stable of airplanes, and when image is more important than ever, you just can't miss the mark by this much. It's an even bigger deal with the recent American/US Airways merger intent.

 I found this design concept while doing some searching around, and I think it's fantastic, especially when compared to what the airline came up with. I can't seem to find the original source for that design, but I think it's just an unofficial effort by a real person... as opposed to a highly paid staff of advertising professionals who would be happy to tell you how amazing their work is, all while carrying a large check for their 'work' to the bank. Sometimes the world makes no sense at all.

My retro styled logo has been a huge success going up against the current EAA logo

 The EAA logo issue that I've been addressing for quite a long while now has sure been satisfying for me. The original poll (on a more frustrating poll website) was up over 70% approval for my retro styled EAA logo, and now, the new poll I put up back in October 2012 is running over 77% with nearly 400 votes in. That's pretty overwhelming in my opinion. I sure wish I had some power to back up my views.

 If you scroll thru those recent polls in the AirPigz poll category, you'll also see the question about whether a rebuilt 1940's era Piper Cub makes more sense as an LSA than the new Van's RV-12 SLSA. I'm also very pleased to see that the $50,000 Cub is way out in front against two modern factory built LSA's; the RV-12 SLSA and the Tenn-Air CH750 SLSA. I'm not against those other two airplanes in any way, but the rebuilt Cub just makes sooo much more sense for an ailing aviation.

 Anyway. I'm one opinioned dude, and I'm happy to be that way... and I'm sure you have opinions too. So take a few minutes and find the polls that you haven't voted in before and share those opinions!

Video: 1975 Flashback With Clay Lacy, A DC-8, And The HUMAN FLY!

ClayLacy.com

 Clay Lacy was a household name for me when I was a kid because Clay started flying DC-3's for United Airlines the same year that my dad Robert Clupper did, in 1952. I know my dad knew Clay back in the late 60's and into the 70's but I'm not sure how well... Clay was always doing some crazy/cool aviation related stuff that made for fun avgeek talk in our house. Things like flying an all purple P-51 in the races at Reno in the late 60's (and even winning the race in 1970), to racing a DC-7 in the California 1000, also in 1970. And then there was his task of flying a DC-8 with the stuntman known as the HUMAN FLY strapped on top of the fuselage!

Video screenshot of the HUMAN FLY strapped on to a DC-8 flown by Clay Lacy in 1975

 Three flights like this were made over several months time so the HUMAN FLY could accomplish being on the outside of an airplane at 300 mph. Why? Well, I guess why not? Anyway, this video, which was recently uploaded by the fine folks at Clay Lacy Aviation, gives the long-view story of the HUMAN FLY and his motivations. It's a pretty interesting story actually, and I'd say it's well worth you investing 23 minutes to watch it all. The views of the DC-8 in flight and Clay flying low to the ground are fabulous enough all on their own. And you gotta love a guy who retracts the gear and banks right immediately after takeoff in a DC-8! Btw, if you don't have time for the entire video, the turnaround at the end of the runway for takeoff starts at the 9:00 mark. I'll add that the use of a helicopter and then a chase plane means that there is some really great video of this stunt.

Video screenshot showing how low to the ground Clay flew the DC-8!

 So, the next time someone asks you if that story about a guy riding on the outside of a DC-8 at 300 mph was really true, you can tell 'em "yep, it is... and I've seen the video of it!" You might also enjoy seeing Caption Contest #18 from way back in 2009 that used a pic from this flight... the winning caption was very appropriate!

Video screesnhot of the 1975 low pass made at Mojave at 300mph with the HUMAN FLY

Hobbico E-FEST Was An Awesome Electriflying RC Display! (21 Pix)

(click any pic to enlarge)

The University of Illinois Armory building is a great place for indoor electric flying!

 Hobbico, headquartered in Champaign Illinois, is the largest distributor of hobby products in the world, so it's not hard to understand why they are the host for the E-FEST electric indoor RC event at the University of Illinois Armory building in Champaign Illinois! The big E-FEST event took place over this last weekend (Feb 9-10, 2013) and I made the 4-hour drive (each way) over there on Saturday with my 11 year old nephew Jaxon to check it all out. I figured any huge electric RC event would have to be interesting to see, and it didn't hurt that Scaled Composites had also sent Elliot Seguin to the event to conduct a forum and do a little Scaled engineer recruiting. And for Jaxon, who so far only has a peripheral interest in aviation, I figured some exposure to the world of foam and electric flying toys would have to be a good idea : )

 Btw, if you're an engineer looking for one of the coolest companies in the world to work for, I suggest you check out the Scaled careers page right now, this is a rare period of strong growth for the company.

 It was great to meet up with Elliot from Scaled, and, the electric RC flying on display was absolutely fantastic. In fact, the entire event was fantastic. It reminded me of the good ole days... lots of cool people doing cool stuff in a kind, gentle, and orderly fashion, with no need for pesky heavy-handed supervision. You just don't see Americans able to operate like this much any more, and it was extremely refreshing to me. Along with all that goodness, the changes and advancement in the world of RC in the last few years are just incredible. As my financial situation is finally showing signs of noticeable improvement, I can promise you that some affordable electric RC flying machines are in my future! If things continue to improve, I'll eventually graduate from RC back into full scale! (actually, you never really graduate from RC, you just add full size fun to the mix!)

 The star of the show for me was this little Gee Bee R-2 available from E-flite, which appears to have been out for a year or so but I sure wasn't aware of it. Given my general obsession with all things Gee Bee, the existence of this little critter is a big deal to me. With a small 20.1 inch wingspan and a flying weight of just 3.6 ounces, this Gee Bee would seem like it would have to be a handful to fly. It would be if it wasn't for some amazing technology called AS3X incorporated into the electronics. AS3X is a stability enhancing system that basically keeps the aircraft on whatever flight path you put it in, yet it doesn't prevent you from making the airplane do whatever you want it to. It compensates for aircraft instability and air turbulence, and creates both an easy to fly airplane and one that looks soooo real in flight. It takes a small and extremely twitchy design like the Gee Bee and makes it a fantastic flyer!

 Check out this E-flite Gee Bee video to learn more about the airplane and see it in the air. I can't emphasize enough how real and 'scale' the several Gee Bee's I saw at E-Fest looked when in the air. It's just stunning to see them fly. This little Gee Bee is on my short list for getting back into RC once again. They're essentially a ready-to-fly airplane and can be found for just $99 with motor, battery, and servos already installed. All you need to complete is a compatible transmitter that can be bought for as little as $59 (if you don't need anything fancy) or, a more expensive transmitter (about $159 to $250) makes more sense if you plan to expand your hangar of flying toys. Without a doubt, these little foam 'scale' aircraft, and systems like AS3X are transforming small model flying!

Click any pic to enlarge

My 11 year old nephew Jaxon building a freely-provided foam rubber-powered flyer

Click to read more ...

Video: Ultra Slow Motion (1200 fps) Of A Boeing 777 Burning Rubber!

 Have you ever wondered what the landing gear on a Boeing 777 looks like at 1200 frames per second as it makes contact with terra firma? Well, wonder no more!  This video offers up a fascinating look into the world of rapidly accelerating rubber! You also get a really cool view of the fan on the right engine spinning in the opening sequence. It's all very, very cool stuff to see in my opinion.

 I do need the help of someone smarter than me tho to figure out why the front wheel and tire of the right gear leg makes contact with the runaway and starts to spool up before the center wheel and tire. Maybe it just has more tread on it and is actually a slightly larger diameter? Anyone have ideas on this? 

Lastly, I'm just really glad that youtube doesn't have a 'smell' app to go along with the video : )

Video screenshot of a Boeing 777 landing: where the rubber meets the road runway : )

Poll: Awesome Or Ugly? The Boeing 307 Stratoliner (Plus CoolPix)

Designed in the late 1930's, this is one of only 10 Boeing 307 Stratoliners built

 The Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the first pressurized commercial transport, would have been a much bigger success if World War II hadn't begun at pretty much the same time as the aircraft was introduced. The Stratoliner was at the cutting edge of aviation design in 1940 but by the end of the war it was quickly being left behind by bigger and faster aircraft like the Lockheed Constellation. However, the Straoliner's older sister, the B-17, became a key player in winning the war and proved without any doubt that this basic aircraft design was extremely capable.

 Only 10 Stratoliners were built, and the only one remaining is on display at the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy facility. The recent AirPigz NASM MeetUp gave me my first opportunity to see the Stratoliner up close, and of course it was a real treat to be in her presence. I've always been a big fan of this airplane so it's no surprise that I've voted her to be 'awesome' in the poll below... but what do you think?

(click pic for hi-res) The only Boeing Stratoliner left, on display at the NASM Udvar-Hazy