I like seaplanes too. I like the Boeing XPBB-1 Sea Ranger.
Sad. Most of the companies no longer make planes.
Of all the companies represented, I think only Boeing and Northrup still build planes.
Ralph
the Curtiss 24-B looks exactly like a Rutan Vari-EZ
There’s some crazy stuff in there!
Jon.
I notice there’s one there that runs on steam…
Wonder if you could use some kind of atmospheric condenser for the water supply… not too many water towers at 35,000 feet.
Back when I was at school, and being motivated to think sideways by a brilliant physics master, I came up with an idea for an ice-powered ornithopter.
Details might follow if anybody is interested, but knowing you guys it’s prolly been done before.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Tac,
Of course I’m interested, at least enough to google “orinthopter”. “Ice-powered” intrigues me. Go on, please.
Joe
Yes, Terry, please do!
Jon Foster said:
There's some crazy stuff in there!Jon.
That there is!
I like these:
ABRAMS EXPLORER, BRISTOL XLRQ-1, CURTISS MODEL 24-B, HORTON SWOOPY.
Wonder what kind of stick and tissue rubber power models the HORTON SWOOPY and ABRAMS EXPLORER would make?
Oh yeah! For those into stick and tissue models, there’s some good modeling (and flying) in here. http://www.ffscale.co.uk/
Welcome to Mike’s flying scale model pages
“Time flies they say, and I have to agree - hard to believe this site has now been going 10 years. When I started it back in 1999, I had no idea of how it was going to grow, and how many people would come and visit. I’m encouraged that so many people still enjoy free flight scale aeromodelling, and am optimistic that together we can we can keep it going for future generations to enjoy.”
Well, everybody knows that as ice forms, it actually expands [hence the incidence of burst water pipes in a sudden freeze] so it occurred to me one boring afternoon in the school physics lab that if I could somehow harness this sudden expansion it might be possible to put it to work.
I had a look around the lab after prep, and on a dusty top shelf I found an interesting exhibit called a Peltier Effect module, used to demonstrate a little-known property of passing an electrical current in one direction through a circuit, whereupon it generates an amount of warmth at the point of intersection of two dissimilar metals, and then reversing the current flow, whereupon it generates a distinct coldness, or coolth, to use a technical term.
By a cunning arrangement of Leyden Jars [this WAS some time ago] to provide the necessary amount of voltage [in this case rather a lot] at a pretty high rate of amps [again, at a level that some lily-livered might judge as lethal] the construction of a combined heating and cooling coil and a compact [in height but not in diameter] open-topped container of water, it became readily apparent that here I had my source of power. I figured out that a set of copper coils wrapped closely around this open-topped cylinder would provide the necessary freezing/heating cycle required to effectively move a piston floating on the open top of the cylinder - as the water in the cooling coils cooled, it would, by simple conduction, pass this coolth into the water in the cylinder, pushing the piston UP. A simple timer switch could then be arranged to reverse the current flow of the module, and this cause the water to warm to return to its hitherto liquid state - aided by atmospheric pressure of course - and the piston would move DOWN the cylnder. I had, gentlemen, a simple reciprocating engine, rather like a beam engine, that ran on ice.
Easy!!
It was the work of less than an evening to construct a system of levers, via a kind of vertical piston rod, familiar to anyone who has seen a wind-pump in action, into a linear crank-like assembly and to fit it into the fuselage of the family orthithopter that was usually employed to transport me to my place of learning.
The very next day I tried it out, and to my astonishment, it actually caused the mighty wings to flap, albeit slowly, thus saving me the effort of doing it myself - in my opinion somewhat tiresome way of expending my youthful energy.
The following morning before assembly and chapel, the quad rang to the loud cries of 'Huzzah!, as my machine stood there in the morning sun, awaiting motion with a panting degree of anticipation on the part of rosey-cheeked fellow school-boys who were my chums and supporters in all my previous cockamamie schemes. Yes, they ad been there before - had not the closing days of the previous term been set alight both figuratively and in reality by my solar-powered blackboard cleaner/tin opener combination device?
I operated the switch pedal from my position at the simple controls of the family flying machine, but sad to relate, the expected motion did not occur quite as rapidly as was truly necessary to achieve uplift, due to the fact that the Peltier Circuit module required something in the region of 120V at 950 amps in order to function effectively, and even then, the freezing/warming process took just over 75 minutes - at 150 minutes per cycle, a slow flap indeed.
With little ado, amidst muttered boos and other cries of disappointment among my worthy pals, the physics master consigned my adventurous assemblage - the world’s first and only ice-powered ornithopter - to the scrapheap of history. At the same time as I was consigned to the Headmaster’s study, where my frivolous use of school property was the subject of much one-way discussion 'twixt him and me. We eventually came to an amicable agreement - he gave me a sound thrashing every morning for a week in front of the assembled school, and I agreed not to go public with news of my latest and, he hoped, ultimate experiment, thus bringing the school [and by that he meant him] into ridicule.
Until now, of course. Now you ALL know my failure. But of course, since it never really happened anyway, it doesn’t much matter, does it?
Just think of what mischief you MIGHT have gotten up to, instead of reading my drivel, eh?
Best wishes
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Terry,
I woke to read your exploits and must say I fear your lesson learned is what has happened to many great experiments - don’t think out of the box and don’t make the headmaster look foolish.
Nice one TAC, Does seem the timing was off just a smidgeon.
Great story.
My exploits were far less extravagant and went no farther than reducing the 6th grade teacher to tears.
Here’s a cool plane. I think Victor will like this.
Not old, but new. Has great visability. But kiss your butt goodbye in a crash.
Ralph
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16124376&ch=4226722&src=news
Great images, Steve. Some very interesting designs that never made production.