For Old Guys Only

GoldenMotor.com

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,744
1,221
113
CA
" In the meantime, Bede came up with another novel solution to the problems of converting pilots to the new aircraft. They took an engine-less example and bolted it to the front of a pickup truck on a trapeze, attaching the pilot's throttle control to the truck's. Pilots could test fly the aircraft without danger - if a problem developed the driver of the truck simply hit the brakes.[14] "

From 1/3 down from top of that web page.

I saw some one testing out a remote control gas helicopter model with 4 cords attached so it could only go up maybe 3 inches high. This to test ability to fly low hover. As much as you could do is strain pulling in a direction trying to tip over, but not enough. The blades could not hit the ground either. Many years ago before any help from microprocessors and the drone craze now.

I expect this thing with the truck as mentioned above is for sort of a trainer not capable of allowing a crash for someone learning the small kit plane feel for controls.

I used u-control glow plug airplanes as a kid. Some where is a .010 cc Tedee Engine some where... not sure where it disappeared to. The first ones I flew were plastic and I was mailing away for parts early on. Later carved a solid wing and put two 0.049 cc for twin power on a home made u-control.
 
Last edited:

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
The USAF may have been doing development work for special forces to insert soldiers deep into foreign lands.

Additionally, the wing suit is now generally acknowedged to be used by several countries, and is probably a favourite with smugglers.
 

KCvale

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2010
3,966
57
48
Phoenix,AZ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede_BD-5
...The DOD probably doesn't want anyone to know they wasted several million on the project. :)

Tom
Usually military waste is in the Billions so a few million is nothing in the Military world.

Actually, more important than the type of areal 'Gun' you have, it's the 'Bullets' for them that is in short supply.

Air to Air seeking missals no problem, we don't have dog fights much these days, but 'smart bombs', usually ground laser guided, are damn expensive and the US can't make them fast enough.

It is a sad world when some many people need to die that we can't make bombs fast enough to make it easier.

But what other option?
As far as I am concerned, let the towel headed camel jockeys kill each other all they want.

Our big mistake was picking a side and getting in the middle which did nothing but make us a target.

Yet we keep doing it.
Why?
A Multi-trillion dollar industry depends on the US always being at war somewhere.




http://motorbicycling.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
I gotta agree with KC on that one. People in the Middle East have been at war for thousands of years, and will likely remain so into the future. Why did we send so many fine American soldiers over there to die, or return home maimed, in a war where we just stuck our noses into someone else's business? Was it really just so defense contractors could keep their profit margin up. It's one thing to be willing to die for your country; that I respect deeply, and defending America is a patriotic cause. It's another to send these loyal men to die somewhere else that doesn't want our help and now seems angry that we horned in so long ago. I have begun to wonder if it was ever really necessary at any point in time for Americans to go over there. Have we really saved more lives than we've cost? Was it really worth it?
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,744
1,221
113
CA
Last edited:

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
I'm Doing Amsterdam for 5 days in July wth 1.5 brothers and a friend. At least part of it will involve playing Shake Your Money Maker with thoroughly in/appropriate guitar gestures in a blues club. Think of me as an old time sports car, worn, creaking, blowing blue smoke, but put the foot down and you know you've got the real deal.
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,454
4,920
113
British Columbia Canada
Our neighbour who was a car dealer had a Daimler SP250 that he wouldn't sell. Used to listen to him drive by once in a while and wanted the car every time I saw it. He finally sold it to his nephew who didn't have it a week before it was in an accident.

Ugly as sin and faster than a turpentined cat. Perfect.

Steve.
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
I read about a British drag racing team who developed one of those engines to deliver silly horsepower, more than it's bigger brothers in the Daimler range could look at. Perhaps Edward Turner finally designed an engine that didn't need reworking by the factory, or else the Daimler factory did the same as everyone else and fixed the faults for him.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Rest in peace, Mr. Clay.

Another icon of our generation has checked out. Cassius Clay has left us today.
No matter what you think about his religious beliefs, Cassius Clay was a gentleman and someone to be respected.

I once read a story about him being rejected by Reggie Jackson when he asked for an autograph. From that day forward until he was physically unable, he never refused a request from a fan for his.

My Mom loved Cassius and never missed one of his fights. I always wished I could have arranged a meeting with him for her. Alas, it never happened.

Thank you, Mr. Clay for those sweet memories from the 60s.
Rest in peace, sir.

Tom
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,454
4,920
113
British Columbia Canada
I agree Tom. I'm not a big fight fan but I watched his fights many times over simply to watch him.
It's fun to read some of the things he did. Apparently when he was going to Zaire for the fight with Joe Frasier he asked the people on the plane what the people in the country hated the most. It seems that it was the Belgians who colonized the country. When he stepped out of the plane to meet the crowd waiting for him he yelled out "Joe Frasier is a Belgian."

Almost the whole country was cheering Muhammad Ali on because of it. In the same fight he was trying to end it and wasn't having any luck. In one of the rounds he told Frasier that he was told that Frasier was finished. Frasier told him that they lied to you.

The best part for me was that as long as he was able to he went to hospitals to visit sick children.

Steve.
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
151
63
OKC, OK
My 10 yr old garage door opener decided to take a dump last night ---- glad I had the foresight to already have its replacement waiting it the wings! Replaced the old, noisy, chain drive with a Chamberlain Whisper Belt with WiFi (a $250 unit that was on clearance for $56 six or seven months ago).......man, what a difference!! Quiet, smooth, & did I mention quiet?

I can now open & close my garage door in Oklahoma from Tom's Colorado driveway!!
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
I question whether anyone else can open that door with a remote as well. Old fashioned is sometimes your friend.
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
151
63
OKC, OK
My thoughts are that locks only keep honest people honest.............insurance can cover the rest.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
They get 'stupider and stupider' .

Can you believe this latest craze, Pokémon Go? These morons who are infatuated with this ignorant game are walking into traffic, falling over people and objects and today it was reported they were trying to get into animal enclosures in a zoo. Their pea brains concentrated on their phones and ignoring real life all around them.

Cell phones aren't enough distraction and separation from reality and face-to-face communication? Now we have a stupid game that takes them even further away from the world around them. I saw a news story tonight about some ignorant 20 year old female who drover her car into a tree while playing with her phone playing Pokémon.

My Lord, they are so stupid! These people today are the future leaders of the country? I'm glad I'm as old as I am because I won't be around to see where things are headed.

We had silly past-times in our youth too but nothing to compare with what technology has given these brainless moron/robots today.

Tom