The Cold War Air Museum blog is one year old!
We are happy that we can share this video (originally created for one of our associates) for our birthday and for this holiday weekend. It portrays both the fun and the seriousness, of our work.
As we end our first year with 243 posts, we are happy to see our list of visitors rapidly growing. We want to extend to each and every one of you, a wish for a happy, safe and prosperous new year!
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
MiGs, Pigs and Uncontrolled Flight
No insult is intended to Pigs (or MiGs for that matter), but the old saying "When Pig's Fly" is intended to invoke an image of absurdity. The German version, "Wenn Schweine fliegen könnten!"... is essentially identical, while the Russian version "когда рак на горе свистнет"... "when the crawfish whistles on the mountain" uses a different image for the same result.
Unfortunately, during the last year, two of our Cold War Air Museum adventurers had the misfortune of taking a fall (from a ladder and a wing) while working on the MiGs. Needless to say, such excursions from controlled airspace brought about a serious response from the Museum Safety Officer (in his case, after he recovered) as well as cautions from others at the Museum (not to mention those at home). Therein lies the MiG tie-in for this post.
The safety reviews, not surprisingly, concluded that it was not so much the fall, as the sudden stop at the end and things encountered along the way, that created the potential for significant damage or injury. To focus attention on maintenance safety, an image or award based on "Pigs (or people) Can't Fly" was explored. When this concept was checked by the engineering staff however, we got a surprising (but perhaps to be expected) response:
"Certainly pigs can fly, it is simply a matter of applying sufficient thrust. The problems lie with the lack of effective flight controls, landing systems and waste containment. For these reasons, pig flight over populated areas is not recommended.
Regardless of such musings, we do emphasize safety and we considered creating an emblem or badge for that purpose. The statue above is located at the Cincinnati airport. In the 1800's, Cincinnati was the hog processing center of the U.S., As pigs arrived in railroad cars for the slaughterhouse, it was said that they were packed so tightly they would "fly" out of the cars when the doors were opened. Cincinnati thus became know as the "City of Flying Pigs", perhaps a better moniker than its other nickname of the time, "Porkopolis".
Unfortunately, during the last year, two of our Cold War Air Museum adventurers had the misfortune of taking a fall (from a ladder and a wing) while working on the MiGs. Needless to say, such excursions from controlled airspace brought about a serious response from the Museum Safety Officer (in his case, after he recovered) as well as cautions from others at the Museum (not to mention those at home). Therein lies the MiG tie-in for this post.
"Certainly pigs can fly, it is simply a matter of applying sufficient thrust. The problems lie with the lack of effective flight controls, landing systems and waste containment. For these reasons, pig flight over populated areas is not recommended.
Regardless of such musings, we do emphasize safety and we considered creating an emblem or badge for that purpose. The statue above is located at the Cincinnati airport. In the 1800's, Cincinnati was the hog processing center of the U.S., As pigs arrived in railroad cars for the slaughterhouse, it was said that they were packed so tightly they would "fly" out of the cars when the doors were opened. Cincinnati thus became know as the "City of Flying Pigs", perhaps a better moniker than its other nickname of the time, "Porkopolis".
Monday, December 7, 2009
MiGs, Mils and Models
Miguel Relayze from Lima, Peru, recently visited the Cold War Air Museum and decided to schedule a photo shoot with us.
Miguel works for American Airlines and enjoys photography. His work at the museum will be posted soon on his pages at Pbase and Flikr. While he was taking pictures with his professional grade equipment, he and the models graciously allowed us to take some snapshots to share on our museum website. Thank you Miguel and Ladies, you are certainly welcome back anytime!
Our first job was cordoning off the restrooms for use as dressing and makeup rooms. Marie helped the ladies and kept them fresh during the session that lasted into the night.
With the temperature outside hovering at +5 Celsius (we consider that cold in Texas) and the dew point the same, it was good flying weather only for Ducks and Helicopters. The Mi-2 was unable to blow the crud away, so the ground crew fired up the heaters in the hangers to keep the models warm (or at least not as cold).
The ladies brought a number of outfits and we furnished some hats and other items to use as props, but when the photographer called for one more prop, the best we could do was offer Jon. Surrounded by Marinda, Rashell and Leslie, Jon appears afraid to move. We know this museum work is tough, but someone has to do it. We are accepting applications for more volunteers, in case anyone is interested.
The ladies were totally professional about their work. But because I was simply taking snapshots, I was able to catch some fun and funny moments with them. I did note some things that, as our society becomes truly egalitarian, desperately need to be passed on to aircraft and flight equipment designers. (#1) Aircraft steps and control pedals need to be redesigned to accommodate high heels (#2) More variety needs to be offered in flight boots, including heels and more choice of colors and stripes and oh yes, (#3) A good flight helmet should NOT mess up your hair.
All kidding aside, we wish to thank Miguel, Marie, Rashell, Leslie and Marinda for visiting and allowing us to share some snapshots with our on-line visitors. The additional snapshots below do not do full justice to these lovely ladies and Miguel's work. Please visit his page at Flikr for his processed pics from this shoot. Shots from the museum will be posted after he has time to process them.
Miguel works for American Airlines and enjoys photography. His work at the museum will be posted soon on his pages at Pbase and Flikr. While he was taking pictures with his professional grade equipment, he and the models graciously allowed us to take some snapshots to share on our museum website. Thank you Miguel and Ladies, you are certainly welcome back anytime!
Our first job was cordoning off the restrooms for use as dressing and makeup rooms. Marie helped the ladies and kept them fresh during the session that lasted into the night.
With the temperature outside hovering at +5 Celsius (we consider that cold in Texas) and the dew point the same, it was good flying weather only for Ducks and Helicopters. The Mi-2 was unable to blow the crud away, so the ground crew fired up the heaters in the hangers to keep the models warm (or at least not as cold).
The ladies brought a number of outfits and we furnished some hats and other items to use as props, but when the photographer called for one more prop, the best we could do was offer Jon. Surrounded by Marinda, Rashell and Leslie, Jon appears afraid to move. We know this museum work is tough, but someone has to do it. We are accepting applications for more volunteers, in case anyone is interested.
The ladies were totally professional about their work. But because I was simply taking snapshots, I was able to catch some fun and funny moments with them. I did note some things that, as our society becomes truly egalitarian, desperately need to be passed on to aircraft and flight equipment designers. (#1) Aircraft steps and control pedals need to be redesigned to accommodate high heels (#2) More variety needs to be offered in flight boots, including heels and more choice of colors and stripes and oh yes, (#3) A good flight helmet should NOT mess up your hair.
All kidding aside, we wish to thank Miguel, Marie, Rashell, Leslie and Marinda for visiting and allowing us to share some snapshots with our on-line visitors. The additional snapshots below do not do full justice to these lovely ladies and Miguel's work. Please visit his page at Flikr for his processed pics from this shoot. Shots from the museum will be posted after he has time to process them.
Friday, October 30, 2009
MiG Mudding
In Texas, it can be Sunny, Rainy or Snowing, sometimes all in the same day! In continuing our progress on the Cold War Air Museum, MiG-23, the guys took advantage of a brief respite in our recent rains to roll out Bord 022 and do some tests. APU start? Check. Engine start? Check. Brief taxi run? Check. Gear in the Mud? Check.
As we get older, we continue to find that life is a series of learning experiences. Because of the recent rains, the gear quickly bogged down in the soft ground beside the ramp. With the co-operation of the airport management, who NOTAM'd the taxiway out of service, we called our friendly crane company who happened to have the needed equipment just down the road. These guys have assisted in the past with rigging and lifting, especially when we have off loaded the aircraft on arrival (see the Mi-24 coming out of the box and the Mig-23 coming out of the box).
With a quick lift, we were soon back in the hangar, although some of the "boys" were covered in good Texas mud (and a bit of chagrin). And while the taxiway was temporarily closed, the local police department took the opportunity to come out and practice using "Stop Sticks". With the locals checking the moorings on their Arks the day before and the day after, we picked a good day for everyone to get outside and enjoy the Texas weather.
When we took a poll of associates about publishing a potentially embarassing story, the response overwhelmingly was positive, after all that's what blogs are for, and look what we've accomplished, we've assisted local law enforcement and provided a stimulus package for the local economy through fuels sales and crane rental. Or, as another associate summarized:
Fuel Purchase ----------------- $xxx.xx
Crane Rental ------------------ $xxx.xx
Getting Stuck in the Mud ---- Priceless!
We will have videos of the happier and drier portions of this exercise posted soon and with the skies once again blue and clear, we hope to have more stories to tell and video to post after the weekend.
As we get older, we continue to find that life is a series of learning experiences. Because of the recent rains, the gear quickly bogged down in the soft ground beside the ramp. With the co-operation of the airport management, who NOTAM'd the taxiway out of service, we called our friendly crane company who happened to have the needed equipment just down the road. These guys have assisted in the past with rigging and lifting, especially when we have off loaded the aircraft on arrival (see the Mi-24 coming out of the box and the Mig-23 coming out of the box).
With a quick lift, we were soon back in the hangar, although some of the "boys" were covered in good Texas mud (and a bit of chagrin). And while the taxiway was temporarily closed, the local police department took the opportunity to come out and practice using "Stop Sticks". With the locals checking the moorings on their Arks the day before and the day after, we picked a good day for everyone to get outside and enjoy the Texas weather.
When we took a poll of associates about publishing a potentially embarassing story, the response overwhelmingly was positive, after all that's what blogs are for, and look what we've accomplished, we've assisted local law enforcement and provided a stimulus package for the local economy through fuels sales and crane rental. Or, as another associate summarized:
Fuel Purchase ----------------- $xxx.xx
Crane Rental ------------------ $xxx.xx
Getting Stuck in the Mud ---- Priceless!
We will have videos of the happier and drier portions of this exercise posted soon and with the skies once again blue and clear, we hope to have more stories to tell and video to post after the weekend.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Kitty Liter Rocks
Round engines, Russian Aircraft and most retired military equipment share a common trait: "If its not leaking, its out of fluid". Cleanup is an ongoing process.
One of our volunteers brought in a large container of Kitty Litter to help. We were concerned about the expense and explained that while we appreciated the help, we could not afford to rountinely buy kitty litter instead of the other cleaning materials we use.
He explained "It was no burden, this was just sitting around the house because my cats refuse to use it".
The name on the box has been changed to avoid any slight to the manufacturer, after all anyone who has a cat knows they can be picky. Just ask any cat, my job as a cat owner is to find out what they want and deliver it. On the other hand, if the manufacturer contacts us, we will fully endorse their product as effective aircraft litter and as the product description promises, it clumps tight!
He explained "It was no burden, this was just sitting around the house because my cats refuse to use it".
Friday, August 28, 2009
Chinook Helicopter
On a recent visit to Alaska, I "caught" this picture of a Chinook.
In a previous post, we explained how U.S. Army helicopters are named for Indian Tribes. The CH-47, "Chinook" is a hard working member of the U.S. Army helicopter inventory.
The Chinook" Salmon is the largest member of the salmon family. Salmon return from the Pacific Ocean to Alaskan streams to spawn and Salmon fishing is an Alaskan industry.
The convention and arts center in Anchorage recently had a contest and display of art objects made from salmon. Titled "Chinook at 14,000 feet", the award winner shown at the start of this article was judged worthy of report in this blog by the Cold War Air Museum associate passing by.
The convention and arts center in Anchorage recently had a contest and display of art objects made from salmon. Titled "Chinook at 14,000 feet", the award winner shown at the start of this article was judged worthy of report in this blog by the Cold War Air Museum associate passing by.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sopwith Camel?
Back at the turn of the century, (20th) in the cold gray skies over Europe, the Red Baron dueled with intrepid English airmen in their Sopwith Camels.
Well, this is not exactly a Sopwith Camel, and this is not the cold gray skies of Germany, but it's an interesting image to share.
The Cold War Air Museum is always looking for interesting aircraft and artifacts to add to our growing physical collection and interesting stories to tell our visitors in person and on the web. We admit that this one may be well beyond our normal scope. It may be odd, it may be unusual and it may beg the question , "What has this got to do with aviation?" But I think Snoopy would probably understand, and hoist a brew in salute.
The Cold War Air Museum is always looking for interesting aircraft and artifacts to add to our growing physical collection and interesting stories to tell our visitors in person and on the web. We admit that this one may be well beyond our normal scope. It may be odd, it may be unusual and it may beg the question , "What has this got to do with aviation?" But I think Snoopy would probably understand, and hoist a brew in salute.
Monday, June 29, 2009
They really thought it could fly? No. 2
Waldo Waterman wanted aviation pioneer Glenn Curtis to like him
in the worst way. Inspired by what was apparently Curtis' casual remark about driving an airplane away from the field, Waterman spent years developing a roadable airplane.
In 1934, he flew his first successful prototype, the "Arrowplane," a high-wing monoplane with tricycle wheels. On the ground, the wings folding against the fuselage like those of a fly (now would be a good time to note that Waterman must have been crazy to get airborne in such a contraption). Nonetheless, the Arrowplane goes down as the first real flying car. Two decades later, Waterman finally perfected, if that's the word, what he then called the Aerobile, configured as a swept-wing "pusher" (prop in the back). There were few customers with so consummate a death wish as to order their own Aerobile, and Waterman's one working car-plane eventually wound up in the Smithsonian, where it can't kill anyone.
In 1934, he flew his first successful prototype, the "Arrowplane," a high-wing monoplane with tricycle wheels. On the ground, the wings folding against the fuselage like those of a fly (now would be a good time to note that Waterman must have been crazy to get airborne in such a contraption). Nonetheless, the Arrowplane goes down as the first real flying car. Two decades later, Waterman finally perfected, if that's the word, what he then called the Aerobile, configured as a swept-wing "pusher" (prop in the back). There were few customers with so consummate a death wish as to order their own Aerobile, and Waterman's one working car-plane eventually wound up in the Smithsonian, where it can't kill anyone.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
They really thought it could fly? No.1
Part of our fun series on aviation history.
Designer-genius R. Buckminster Fuller was one of the 20th century's great dreamers.
He conceived of the Dymaxion as a flying automobile or drivable plane, with jet engines and inflatable wings. It was a link in his futuristic vision of people living in mass-produced houses deposited on the landscape by dirigibles.
Deprived of wings, the Dymaxion was a three-wheel, ground-bound Zeppelin, with the rear wheel trailing on a huge levered arm and swiveling like the tail wheel of an airplane. The first prototype had a wicked death wobble in that rear wheel. The next two Dymaxions were bigger, heavier, and only marginally more drivable. The third car had a stabilizer fin on top, which did nothing to cure the Dymaxion's acute instability in crosswinds. A fatal accident involving the car (cause unknown) doomed its public acceptance.
Though unworkable, this three-wheeled oddity was the boldest of a series of futuristic, rear-engined cars of the 1930s, including the Tatra, the Highway Aircraft Corporation's "Fascination" car and Germany's National Socialist KdF-wagen.
He conceived of the Dymaxion as a flying automobile or drivable plane, with jet engines and inflatable wings. It was a link in his futuristic vision of people living in mass-produced houses deposited on the landscape by dirigibles.
Deprived of wings, the Dymaxion was a three-wheel, ground-bound Zeppelin, with the rear wheel trailing on a huge levered arm and swiveling like the tail wheel of an airplane. The first prototype had a wicked death wobble in that rear wheel. The next two Dymaxions were bigger, heavier, and only marginally more drivable. The third car had a stabilizer fin on top, which did nothing to cure the Dymaxion's acute instability in crosswinds. A fatal accident involving the car (cause unknown) doomed its public acceptance.
Though unworkable, this three-wheeled oddity was the boldest of a series of futuristic, rear-engined cars of the 1930s, including the Tatra, the Highway Aircraft Corporation's "Fascination" car and Germany's National Socialist KdF-wagen.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Fougaman
We are getting our Finnish Fouga ready to fly more often.
Shown here when it first moved to the museum in '07, it is still one of the most asked about aircraft because of it unique V-tail design.
Jon is one of our all-around generalists, he can fly-em and he can fix-em. Recently he tackled the task of replacing the on-board batteries. Originally equipped with finicky (and expensive) Ni-Cads, we recently found it was time to replace the batteries once again.
Here, Jon is installing our favorite replacement, an "Odyssey" battery set. With roots in the Hawker Siddeley group, Odyssey manufactures batteries used in demanding commercial applications.
As anyone who has dealt with the "system" can tell you, it takes additional time and money for a product to receive Mil-spec or FAA-PMA approval. In the best of all possible worlds, "COTS" or "Commercial Off The Shelf" technology can be one or two generations ahead of governmental procurement. Fortunately for us, this is one of those times that we can take advantage of a well developed commercial technology.
Perched on the Fouga, working in the battery compartment, Jon looks ready to imitate Major Kong in the 1964 classic cold war movie "Dr. Strangelove".
From "Dr Strangelove" - courtesy of YouTube, with dialogue for our German friends. The director of this movie made heavy use of comedy and irony.
Here, Jon is installing our favorite replacement, an "Odyssey" battery set. With roots in the Hawker Siddeley group, Odyssey manufactures batteries used in demanding commercial applications.
As anyone who has dealt with the "system" can tell you, it takes additional time and money for a product to receive Mil-spec or FAA-PMA approval. In the best of all possible worlds, "COTS" or "Commercial Off The Shelf" technology can be one or two generations ahead of governmental procurement. Fortunately for us, this is one of those times that we can take advantage of a well developed commercial technology.
From "Dr Strangelove" - courtesy of YouTube, with dialogue for our German friends. The director of this movie made heavy use of comedy and irony.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Star Wars moment
Bord 122, the Mi-24 that was damaged in transit, is being restored as a static display and is the subject of the "Gate Guardian" series of stories on our Blog.
In one of the later posts in the series, this view, reminded me of a Star Wars Movie Imperial Walker (AT-AT Walkers) and made me wonder if life was imitating art, or art was imitating life. What really bothered me next though, was realizing that the first Star Wars movie predated the deployment of the Mi-24 "D" model. Perhaps someone over there studied our movies and said "AhHa"!, this time we are really going to get the jump on those Capitalist's.
In one of the later posts in the series, this view, reminded me of a Star Wars Movie Imperial Walker (AT-AT Walkers) and made me wonder if life was imitating art, or art was imitating life. What really bothered me next though, was realizing that the first Star Wars movie predated the deployment of the Mi-24 "D" model. Perhaps someone over there studied our movies and said "AhHa"!, this time we are really going to get the jump on those Capitalist's.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Charge of the not-so-light brigade
When the Mi2 goes out for a test flight, it is usually accompanied by a ground crew (seen here in the background).
While another crew was the subject of an earlier post, everyone piled on today and the taxiing Mi2 managed to stay ahead on the way to the hanger.
George supervised both the helicopter and cart crew. Fortunately the Mi2 is set up to accommodate our diligent observer.
George's cousin, Gunner.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mi-2 bord 211 Taxi Test
While Bruce was working on the Mi-24 which was damaged in shipping, Tracie took Mi-2 bord 211 (which is approaching its airworthiness certificate) for a taxi test on Sunday. Museum members followed closely on one of the electric carts for safety reasons.
At least, that's the way we saw it. The DFW Wing of the CAF is located on the other end of airport. At their hangar, the conversation went something more like this:
CAF Guy #1: Hey Bruce, isn't that one of y'all's helicopters?
Bruce: Why, why, yes it is!
CAF Guy #1: It looks like it's racing a golf cart.
CAF Guy #2: It looks like the golf cart is winning!
CAF Guy #3: I've got five dollars on the golf cart.
At least, that's the way we saw it. The DFW Wing of the CAF is located on the other end of airport. At their hangar, the conversation went something more like this:
CAF Guy #1: Hey Bruce, isn't that one of y'all's helicopters?
Bruce: Why, why, yes it is!
CAF Guy #1: It looks like it's racing a golf cart.
CAF Guy #2: It looks like the golf cart is winning!
CAF Guy #3: I've got five dollars on the golf cart.
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