http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/09/13/richard-du-pont%e2%80%94millionaire-glider-fan/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:07:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/09/13/richard-du-pont%e2%80%94millionaire-glider-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-1071284 Randy Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:50:02 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=8231#comment-1071284 Yes, that was a tragic accident, William. It was a Bernoulli design rather than Bowlus though. I wonder how much DuPont's patronage of Bowlus accelerated the latter's design work. It must have been nice to have a probably unlimited budget to build new prototypes as fast as the pencil lines dried on the vellum... Yes, that was a tragic accident, William. It was a Bernoulli design rather than Bowlus though. I wonder how much DuPont’s patronage of Bowlus accelerated the latter’s design work. It must have been nice to have a probably unlimited budget to build new prototypes as fast as the pencil lines dried on the vellum…

]]> http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/09/13/richard-du-pont%e2%80%94millionaire-glider-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-1071272 William Deering Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:05:22 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=8231#comment-1071272 Richard DuPont died in the crash of an experimental military glider September 12, 1943. Richard DuPont died in the crash of an experimental military glider September 12, 1943.

]]> http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/09/13/richard-du-pont%e2%80%94millionaire-glider-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-1071271 Sean Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:39:38 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=8231#comment-1071271 I like the offhand reference to Germany's method of getting around the Versailles Treaty air force ban. Those 350,000 "glider pilots" would be diving their Stuka's on Warsaw in a couple of years. I like the offhand reference to Germany’s method of getting around the Versailles Treaty air force ban. Those 350,000 “glider pilots” would be diving their Stuka’s on Warsaw in a couple of years.

]]> http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/09/13/richard-du-pont%e2%80%94millionaire-glider-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-1071266 Randy Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:25:39 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=8231#comment-1071266 That is an interesting little ship! It looks like a Baby Albatross with the forward section of a Senior Albatross grafted on (from the leading edge of the wing forward) and the tail of the pod faired up into the tailboom. The photo is airbrushed (I can tell from the halftone dots and having seen many 'brushes in my day) but it looks like they've covered the pod in metal sheets (unless they used silver dope over the varnish)--Bowlus pods were made of molded plywood. That is an interesting little ship! It looks like a Baby Albatross with the forward section of a Senior Albatross grafted on (from the leading edge of the wing forward) and the tail of the pod faired up into the tailboom. The photo is airbrushed (I can tell from the halftone dots and having seen many ‘brushes in my day) but it looks like they’ve covered the pod in metal sheets (unless they used silver dope over the varnish)–Bowlus pods were made of molded plywood.

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