August 3, 2007

Berlin-New York Round Trip Takes Less Than Two Days (Nov, 1938)

For some reason this reminds me of a scene from Johnny Dangerously where Danny DeVito is trying to bribe the D.A. and one of the things he offers him is a new automatic oven that can “cook a turkey in less than a day!”.

Berlin-New York Round Trip Takes Less Than Two Days

Forty-four hours and forty-six minutes from Berlin to New York and back again. Eight thousand miles over land and ocean in a four-motored land plane. That was the record written into the aviation books by the German air liner “Brandenburg” which, with its crew of four, made the first westward crossing of the Atlantic nonstop from the German capital to New York and then turned around to beat the previous record for the eastbound trip. Read the rest of this entry »

August 1, 2007

BLIMPS GO AFTER FISH (Sep, 1944)

Filed under: Aviation — @ 12:02 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1944
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BLIMPS GO AFTER FISH—finny as well as tin. Mindful of the necessity of a continuing sea-food supply, the U. S. Navy is co-operating with the Office of the Co-ordinator of Fisheries by having its sub-hunting blimps shortwave the location of schools of fish to interested vessels in the area. Patrolling blimps easily spot quarry that fishermen operating on the surface of the water might miss or take hours to locate.

July 31, 2007

Crib Clips to Baggage Rack (Sep, 1953)

Filed under: Aviation — @ 12:03 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1953
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Crib Clips to Baggage Rack
Baby gets an upper berth all to himself in this new rig under test by British Overseas Airways. Made of metal and plastic cloth, the crib has a side flap that clips up to hold baby safely in.

July 30, 2007

Machine GUNNER SITS SUSPENDED Under Plane (Sep, 1932)

Machine GUNNER SITS SUSPENDED Under Plane

PILOTS of combat planes in the World war were acutely conscious of the fact that their ships had a “blind spot” in which they were peculiarly vulnerable to attack by the enemy. This spot included the underpart of the tail and rear section of the fuselage, which could not be defended by machine gun fire from the cockpit for the reason that the gunner would have to fire through his own plane.
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July 28, 2007

JETS LOOK FOR JOBS (Sep, 1948)

JETS LOOK FOR JOBS

WHAT we want,” the public-utilities official stated, “is an auxiliary engine that will help our construction trucks and trailers climb up into the mountains. The loaded vehicles weigh 33 tons and right now we grind along at six miles per hour. We want to get up those grades at 45 miles per hour.”

The Aerojet engineer thumbed his slide rule for a moment and grinned.

“We have just the thing,” he commented. “Five hundred horsepower in a package 18 inches square. How’s that? Turn the auxiliary power on at the foot of the grade and cruise along as fast as you want. Only trouble is, you can’t afford it. At $2.50 per gallon, fuel will cost about $1200 per trip.”
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July 22, 2007

SOUND TRUCK HELPS LAND AIRSHIP (Sep, 1933)

Filed under: Aviation — @ 1:30 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1933
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SOUND TRUCK HELPS LAND AIRSHIP
When the Navy’s new airship Macon takes off or lands at the Akron Municipal Airport, Ohio, activities of the ground crew are directed by means of a sound truck that amplifies the voice of the mooring officer so it is audible to every man on the handling lines. This system was particularly valuable during early practice flights, when a slight hitch in carrying out commands might have proved disastrous.

July 4, 2007

Winged Rail Car Rides on Air (May, 1939)

Winged Rail Car Rides on Air
CAPTIVE airplanes with clipped wings would hurtle across country at more than six miles a minute, in a “flying-railway” system proposed by a European engineer. His scheme calls for a giant new type of streamline passenger car, having stubby wing surfaces and a body like the fuselage of an airplane. At low speeds, as in starting and stopping, the vehicle rolls along standard rails on flanged wheels at front and rear. Read the rest of this entry »

July 2, 2007

Airmen Test Asbestos Suits (Sep, 1938)

Doesn’t this look like a Beastie Boys video?

Airmen Test Asbestos Suits
CLAIMED to provide considerable protection against the danger of flames from an airplane afire in mid-air, asbestos flying suits are being tested by pilots of the British Royal Air Force. The suits are light in weight and, as can be seen from the photo, do not restrict physical movement.

President Roosevelt’s personal plane had an elevator (Sep, 1945)

President Roosevelt’s personal plane which is in reality a specially designed Douglas C-54, was used by the late Chief Executive on several historic trips. Elevator made it possible for him to come aboard in his wheelchair easily.

June 11, 2007

CLOUD JUMPING with AMERICA’S GLIDERS (Mar, 1936)

CLOUD JUMPING with AMERICA’S GLIDERS

By Corley McDarment

Imagine a ski-jumper, poised in mid-air, suddenly soaring off across the valley; or a high diver swooping to the surface of the water, and then up again. Thrills such as they would experience are yours with safety in a glider.

AMERICA is filled with thousands of model airplane pilots. They know more than the rudiments of aviation. They have built their own ships, small though they are, and they have made them fly. The next logical step is to build actual working models and then “hit the air” with them. A fine start has already been made in this line. America has never gone into soaring flight like Germany, but if certain plans and the natural momentum together, get going, the sun may soon be obscured in the late afternoons by young men and boys up in the sky—in gliders.
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June 9, 2007

Skeleton Is Adopted as Symbol by Fliers of “Jinx” Air Fleet (Dec, 1924)

I love the fact that Popular Mechanics thought this was newsworthy.

Skeleton Is Adopted as Symbol by Fliers of “Jinx” Air Fleet
To show their unbelief in the influence the squadron number thirteen may have on the luck of the unit, aviators of the organization have adopted the skeleton as their insigne. Each airplane is adorned with a large, bright painting of the “grim reaper,” scythe in hand, which can be readily seen at considerable distance. One of the craft bearing the symbol was successfully piloted through a severe storm and landed at the home field without damage to operators or ship.

American Airlines Ad: Think of her as your mother. (Oct, 1968)

That’s kind of creepy.
American Airlines: serving all of your oedipal aviation needs since 1968.

Think of her as your mother.

She only wants what’s best for you.
A cool drink. A good dinner. A soft pillow and a warm blanket.
This is not just maternal instinct. It’s the result of the longest
Stewardess training in the industry.
Training in service, not just a beauty course.
Service, after all, is what makes professional travellers prefer American.
And makes new travellers want to keep on flying with us.
So we see that every passenger gets the same professional treatment.
That’s the American Way.

Fly the American Way
American Airlines

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