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  1. vhhjr

    Models Begging to be Scaled Up

    You've seen these before, but they fit in this thread. All three of the mock-ups were made from giant scale RC model plans taken to the local blueprint service and blown up an appropriate number of times. Also attached are a couple scaling studies that go with the exercise of scaling up a...
  2. vhhjr

    Green hydrogen, fireproofing envelopes, and aerostatic lift for long-range/duration VTOL operations

    Hydrogen filled balloons seem a bit scary considering the flammable range for the stuff is from 5% to 90+%. Meaning there's almost no safe zone where it won't burn. When it does burn you can't see the flames in the daylight. A group in England built a non-man carrying balloon in the hot air...
  3. vhhjr

    Resurrecting the Dyna-Cam

    I recall seeing articles about a Dynacam engine being installed in a production aircraft. What ever happened to this aircraft? https://dynacam-engine.com/product/research_and_development/research_and_development.html It is interesting and unfortunate that the only vestige of the company left...
  4. vhhjr

    Faking the curves?

    Germany had lots of aircraft right up to the end of the war. What they didn't have are pilots and fuel. The European petroleum facilities were being devastated from the air and their experienced pilots were either dead or exhausted from years of continous combat. Fuel shortages limited combat...
  5. vhhjr

    Alexander Lippisch demonstrating his tethered "Aerodyne" model powered by four electric ducted fans while working for the Collins Radio Company in the

    I remember seeing this model demonstrated on TV in the 50's. It would have been a challenge because motors were heavy at the time and only nicads were available if you wanted on-board power. More impressive was the Bell X-22A with four tilt ducted fans driven by four turboshaft engines all...
  6. vhhjr

    repair of resin starved composite

    I made some fiberglass tanks some years ago and the advice at that time was not to use epoxy for fuel tanks. If any fuel with alcohol in it was used it would damage the epoxy laminate. One was supposed to use vinyl ester resin for fuel contact areas. Vince Homer
  7. vhhjr

    A 55% SR-71 Blackbird under construction!

    Or, have we all been had by an early April Fool's joke? VH
  8. vhhjr

    A 55% SR-71 Blackbird under construction!

    So, some non-govenrment person walked in and plunked down a bag of money to get this aircraft engineered and built. Who has that kind of money and how would you keep it a secret this long? I seem to have missed what this thing is actually powered by. Lots of suggestions sent in on what might...
  9. vhhjr

    A 55% SR-71 Blackbird under construction!

    Looks like the back seater is sitting in a tunnel. With a quoted speed of close to Mach 1, what engines did you cram into those small ancelles that provide enough power for the quoted speed. The stall would be exciting with the sharp edged airfoil. When will it fly? Vince Homer
  10. vhhjr

    Iranian F14s still flying

    In the mid 90'a I worked for a company, Aero Union, as the product support engineer for an aierial refueling system originally designed by Beech Aircraft and designated the 1080 Refuling System. This hose and drogue system was used by the Canadians, Saudis, Brazil, and among others, the...
  11. vhhjr

    Impractical fun planes you would build if you had the time and money?

    Looks like a job for an Origami expert or maybe Barnaby Wainfan. With those sharp edges I suspect you might have a problem with stall characteristics.
  12. vhhjr

    Models Begging to be Scaled Up

    Having watched two facetmobiles being built I would say that the most difficult part is access to a CNC router table that will fishmouth and drill rivet holes in tubing as well as cut out and drill a bazillion gusset plates. Once you get all that done it's a weekend rivet party and you have an...
  13. vhhjr

    Models Begging to be Scaled Up

    I get a common thread out of this series. One can scale up a flying model and expect to get a flyable full size aircraft. This being the opposite of trying to scale down a flying full size aircraft to a smaller version that is also flyable. If that is correct how about scaling up the F-117...
  14. vhhjr

    Impractical fun planes you would build if you had the time and money?

    We shouldn't pick on homebuilt aircraft when all the aircraft most of us fly are impractical for the reasons stated. It's much cheaper and faster to fly commercial from here in Oregon to Oshkosh. I know because I have done both commercial and in my Onex. However, you can't beat the...
  15. vhhjr

    Tucano Replica

    I JUST WENT THROUGH THE PRICING PROGRAM AND CAME UP WITH ~$135K FOR EVERYTHING LESS INSTRUMENTS AND PAINT. I also apologize for the all capsmas I'm a hunt and peck typist and didn't want to retype the first senctence. That price is specing all the quick build items they offer and the 915...
  16. vhhjr

    Tucano Replica

    At the risk of being nosey, how long did the project take you and what was the approximate bottom line cost? Assuming you have made your first flight, has the aircraft met the advertised flight performance numbers? I have been circling the Tucano at Oshlosh since it first appeared there...
  17. vhhjr

    Kitplanes Back Issues

    I suspect there are many collections of Kitplanes and other aviation related magazines squirreled away by us "enthusiasts." My collection goes back to the late 50's and will probably end up in the dump one day as will most of these collections. In the 11 years I have lived in the...
  18. vhhjr

    Dream Plane Build / Describe Your Ultimate Homebuilt Aircraft

    It has already been done: Vince Homer
  19. vhhjr

    Rivetted Al fuel tank - help please?

    I built a riveted aluminum fuel tank for my Onex. With a jabiru 3300 and the stock 14 gal tank the onex had rather short legs so I decided a few more gallons would be nice. A dummy tank was built from corrugated (cardboard box material) to get the fit right. I then built the odd shaped tank...
  20. vhhjr

    Dream Plane Build / Describe Your Ultimate Homebuilt Aircraft

    I'm not sure as to the exact numbers. I was using a 1500 psi pressure sprayer as a feed pump and, as I said, the exhaust tubing turned red. The steam was completely clear. I didn't have the aluminum wing section condenser in the system at the time. Probably a good thing as it might have...
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