Video: Seriously Awesome RC XC-142 VTOL (Must See!)

 If you're short on time and just need an under-a-minute avgeek experience, you'll wanna go here instead of watching the video above... but if you like awesome, cool, and truly amazing examples of modern tech being used to make extremely difficult aircraft designs fly great in model form, then please take 15 minutes to watch this.

 The real XC-142 was a remarkably successful VTOL design from the early 1960's. However, even tho it proved capable of vertical takeoffs and landings along with over 400mph maximum speed, mechanical complexities and aerodynamic problems in certain phases of flight prevented it from moving beyond the prototype stage. Five XC-142's were built, and the only remaining example is the one turned over to NASA in 1966. It's on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and I have spend quite a lot of time looking this unique aircraft over on each trip I've made to Dayton.

 The December 2013 video above of the all-electric RC model XC-142 begins with northern California builder and pilot Ran D. St. Clair explaining a little about the design, then sharing some details on the open-source OpenAero2 flight controller software, and then showing the wing pivot process and interconnect with the horizontal tail. The first of the flying begins at the 3:10 mark. The flying footage is very impressive.
 

 As the inflight pic above shows, this model is extremely well built, but the really impressive work is how well the programming has been done to create a very controlled VTOL flying machine. Transitions from vertical to slow-forward-flight and then full-forward-flight and then back to vertical for landing are done with relative ease. The video is also very well done which gives you a really great opportunity to see this remarkable little model at its best.

 And in case you think that little vertical prop in the rear is a nod to the pitch-control tail rotor found on modern electric toy helicopters, think again... the real XC-142 has one there too for pitch control when in vertical mode.

 Bravo Ran D. St. Clair for some very impressive work! 

 
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'Name The Plane' - ID MAKE And MODEL For Free Bacon! (10.6.12)

North American F-107 - 3 built in the '50's - one on display at the Air Force Museum
 

GAME OVER - correctly ID'd by 'tim' as the North American F-107

 I really thought my cropped pic below would last at least 24 hours in the Name The Plane game, but once again I was wrong. In just 25 minutes, 'tim' provided both the make and model: the North American F-107. Amazing job Tim! I hope you can make it to OSH13 to claim your bacon sandwich prize : )

 The F-107 is a very interesting aircraft, and seeing the one over in Dayton Ohio at the Air Force Museum is really, really cool. The airplane is in the R&D Hangar which allows you to get literally right up to it for close examination. I look it over closely every time I get over there.  

 You can learn a little more about the F-107 in my CoolPix post from December 2010: CoolPix - Modern Military: North American F-107 'Man Eater'. And thanx to everyone who got in on this short-lived Name The Plane game!

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GAME OVER - correctly ID'd by 'tim' as the North American F-107
 

 The Name The Plane game is returning at its regular Saturday night slot. If you didn't know, the game pops up with little warning (follow @NameThePlane on twitter for advance notification) and the first person to correctly ID both MAKE and MODEL of the aircraft pictured above will win a bacon sandwich at OSH13!  NOTE: Your answers must go in the 'comments' area in this post.

 Once again I've dug deep into aviation history with this challenge, and I'm specifically hoping that no one comes up with a correct answer in the typical 45 minutes or less. I'd be very happy if we get 24 hours out of this game : )

 All you gotta do is ID both MAKE and MODEL to win - so if you've got sharp aircraft ID skills, be the first person to ID both MAKE and MODEL of this aircraft to be the winner!

 As always, please don't use the shotgun approach to answers - only put up truly educated guesses that you've arrived at via really thinking it thru.

 And I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but to win, you have to give me both the MAKE and MODEL! : )

Video: B-25's Over The Air Force Museum During 70th Doolittle Raid Reunion

Doolittle 70th Anniversary Formation Flight aboard 'Grumpy' from Liz Matzelle on Vimeo

 
I was fortunate to be over at the Doolittle Reunion on Tuesday April 17th for the arrival and static display of 20 B-25's on the runway behind the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton Ohio - see the post with 14 pix here. It was an amazing experience seeing so many B-25's gathered at one (fascinating) place, and during such an important time... the 70th anniversary of the courageous efforts of Jimmy Doolittle and 79 others as they pulled off a pivotal mission against the odds. (Doolittle Raid wiki)

 Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the mass flyover and memorial service taking place the next day Wednesday April 18th, the actual anniversary date of the raid. However, this video from the vimeo account of Liz Matzelle shows some great views of the event from the perspective of the B-25 'Grumpy' operated by the Historic Flight Foundation.

 I only count 19 B-25's in the video when they're seen from a ground camera, so one may not have been able to make the flight, but wow, what a sight in 2012 seeing so many Mitchells in the air at once! A very fitting tribute the men of the Doolittle Raid.

70th Doolittle Raiders Reunion - 20 B-25's Gather At The Air Force Museum

20 B-25's on the runway behind the Air Force Museum on Tuesday April 17, 2012

(14 pix)

 The weather couldn't have been any better for the big gathering of B-25's at the Air Force Museum today for the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. The B-25's arrived early in the morning, shortly after sunrise and in beautiful still air. These aircraft had been gathering for the last several days at Grimes Field about 30 miles northeast of Dayton in Urbana Ohio, but today was the day for them to come to the museum site and be put on display to help the public remember a courageous mission carried out by 80 men in 16 B-25's on April 18, 1942... a mission that was extremely risky and had more to do with building moral for the war effort back home (and showing the Japanese that America was both willing and ready to fight) than in actually inflicting a lot of collateral damage.

 I had hoped to be able to get deeply connected to the activities at Grimes Field and at the Air Force Museum for this large-scale (and possibly last) Doolittle Reunion, but as it turned out I could only make it to the events of today. I don't know if there's ever been more than 20 B-25's gathered at once in the past, but as you can imagine, the perfect weather, the Air Force Museum location, and the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid have made this a very historic event.

So here are a total of 14 images from today to give you an idea of what this event looked like. And if you aren't really familiar with the details of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, I recommend you check out this account from the U.S. Navy website, it's a great concise history of the event. The wiki page on the raid is also a good resource.

 This week's gatherings help us all to celebrate and pay tribute to the brave men who participated in the raid, including the five that are still alive today... I believe four of them are attending this reunion. Please check out this Air Force Museum page for more info on the events taking place yet this week.

The lead B-25, Larry Kelley's Panchito arriving shortly after sunrise on the runway behind the Air Force Museum. The air was still with a few high clouds and lots of sunshine. It couldn't have been any nicer for the mass arrival of 20 B-25's for this historic gathering.

The b-25 Barbie III just after touchdown with the awesome Air Force Museum in the background. After all 20 of the aircraft landed they were all parked wingtip to wingtip on the same runway.

The crewmembers from all of the aircraft gathered right after their arrival for some official photographs for the event. The bright sun and long shadows show it was early in the morning, and Champaign Gal looked great in that sunshine.

Click to read more ...

Day #3: Air Force Museum MeetUp - Avgeeks, Bacon, And Airplanes!

The perfect Sunday morning breakfast for real avgeeks must include bacon!

(7 pix)

 A total of 12 people made it to the 2nd annual AirPigz Air Force Museum Meetup over this last Fri - Sat - Sun, and it was a fabulous time of avgeek hangar flying and historic aviation overload. Can't wait to do it again next year! (more on that later)

 In addition to spending time in the massive Air Force Museum facilities, many of us also gathered for several meals off site. Like the pic above from the final breakfast on Sunday shows, nothing sparks great avgeek hangar flying like tasty strips of bacon!

 I'll have a detailed post (or several) in the coming months about many of the fantastic aircraft seen during the MeetUp, but for now I wanted to share some sweet teasers with you. If looking at these Research & Development Hangar pix below makes you all tingly inside, then I suggest you get yourself over to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio sometime very soon!

Cool NASA meatball logo on the right side of the North American X-15

Beware Of Blast: one of the left side nose reaction control rockets on the X-15

Click to read more ...

Day #2: AirPigz Air Force Museum MeetUp (1-28-12)

(click pic to enlarge)  Main gear leg of the incredible XB-70 Valkyrie

 Not a lot of info in this post, I just wanted to share a bit from Saturday January 28, 2012 at the Air Force Museum MeetUp. Most of the day was spent over at the R & D hangar across the field from the main museum buildings. The R & D area, (which is connected to the Presidential aircraft display area) is my favorite part of the entire AFM experience. There's so much stunning aviation/aerospace history in that building! The dominating figure in the hangar is the XB-70 Valkyrie, the Mach 3+ high-altitude bomber from the early 60's. It takes my breath away every time I see it. I paid particular attention to its landing gear this time, and the image above gives you a ground level view of one of the main gear legs. There'll be a dedicated post on the gear in the future... so we can talk about that funky little wheel between the axles : )

 The addition pix here are of two other very unique aircraft gear legs, and I'll have more detail on them in the future as well. The R & D hangar is a great place to see some highly unusual experimental aircraft concepts and configurations. It seemed everyone at the MeetUp was reeeeeally enjoying their time there! The final pic is most of the group from Saturday just after we returned into the main museum.

(click pic to enlarge)  The very unusual XF-91 and its very unusual main gear legs

Click to read more ...

CoolPix: Memphis Belle Restoration Progress At The Air Force Museum

(click pic for hi-res) Memphis Belle B-17 restoration project at the Air Force Museum

 The 2nd annual AirPigz Air Force Museum MeetUp is underway right now from Friday thru the weekend (January 27-29, 2012) - and today was the behind-the-scenes tour at the restoration shop. These special tours run only on Fridays and advance reservations are required - get more info here. Last year, when we saw the historic Memphis Belle B-17 that's been undergoing restoration for several years now, it was a fuselage in two parts with the wing removed, no engines and no landing gear. This year the airframe has really made progress, as the CoolPix image above shows. (pix 4 and 5 in this post show it from last year)

 We heard that the project has been given extra high priority, and this progress really seems to reflect that. This is a good time to make it clear that these restoration shop tours are absolutely fantastic as they not only give you the opportunity to see some fascinating aircraft being worked on, but you can also get remarkably up-close with them. The tours are guided by museum staff, and each of the several guides typically leads 5 to 7 people thru. And it's not just one aircraft that's being worked on... there are usually several projects that range from relatively simple to extremely extensive like the Memphis Belle. Between the amazing access and the info shared by the guides, I highly recommend you find a time to come experience this unique aspect of the Air Force Museum, especially since it's free!

(click pic to enlarge) 9 avgeeks gathered for the restoration tour at the AirPigz MeetUp

 A total of nine of us gathered for the restoration part of the AirPigz Air Force Museum MeetUp, and I expect more will join in on Saturday and Sunday as we take in the regular parts of the facility. In fact, you can see me (far right) and @adamcanfly (next to me) pointing as we have just spotted @pilot2b as he was driving in on the access road directly behind our tour guide who was nice enough to help with taking the picture after the tour. We're all having a great time in Dayton... YOU should be here too!

 Watch for more pix tomorrow night from other great parts of the Air Force Museum experience!

CoolPix: XB-70 Valkyrie (& The AirPigz Air Force Museum MeetUp!)

(click pic for hi-res) One of the world's greatest aircraft: North American XB-70 Valkyrie

 CoolPix

 There's really only a handful of aircraft that are so stunning to me that I can hardly speak when I'm in their presence. The XB-70 is one of them. The only remaining example (just two were built) is in the Research & Development Hangar at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force - or Air Force Museum as we used to call it. When I'm near the Valkyrie, everything changes. Seriously, it's like something supernatural is happening. My thoughts are quieted, the universe seems more focused, the air is very still... and I'm in complete awe. And best of all, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (January 27-29, 2012) the 2nd annual AirPigz Air Force Museum MeetUp will give me the chance to be stunned once again. I head out for a three hour drive to Dayton Ohio in the morning!

(click pic to enlarge)  Amazing view of an amazing aircraft - the XB-70 Valkyrie

 Regardless of facts like: the need for a high altitude and very supersonic bomber evaporated once anti-aircraft missiles were developed; and one of the two prototype aircraft was tragically lost in a rather bizarre accident (no fault of the aircraft), the Valkyrie is a watershed accomplishment, especially for the 1960's. A bomber that demonstrated the ability to exceed Mach 3... and it's stunningly beautiful as well.

 I'm planning to photo-document quite a bit of the airplane on this visit, so you can expect an interesting and detailed post at some point in the future. But nothing compares to breathing air that has touched the skin of the Valkyrie. Get on over to the Air Force Museum and experience the power of the XB-70 for yourself!

(click pic to enlarge)  XB-70: Beauty, massive power, and incredible speed! (Mach 3+)

2nd Annual AirPigz/Air Force Museum Meetup: January 27-29, 2012

A de Havilland Mosquito in U.S. markings at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio

 2nd annual AirPigz meetup at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio will
take place January 27-29, 2012 (Fri, Sat, Sun - come 1, 2 or all 3 days)

Click here to be added to the meetup email list for more details

(10 pix)

 Come-if-you-can to this casual gathering of avgeeks to again experience the amazing collection of aircraft at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Nine people made the trip in 2011, including two that flew via the airlines to join in. Museum admission is free and of course the meetup is too. This is a great winter getaway and a fantastic aviation history experience.

 Friday (January 27, 2012) will include the behind-the-scenes restoration shop tour. You must register in advance with the museum for the restoration shop tour (free) that only runs on Fridays - click here for more info and to register (look for the behind-the-scenes info in the lower left) - BE SURE YOU REGISTER FOR THE JANUARY 27TH DATE. Tour check-in is at 11:45am, with the short bus trip across Wright-Patterson AFB at 12:15pm. The guided walking tour runs about 3 hours... and it's worth the trip no matter how far away you are! Check out the pix below from the restoration shop last year.

 Saturday & Sunday (January 28 & 29, 2012) will give you the chance to take in the massive collection of unique and historic aircraft at your own pace, with a casual gathering for lunch (buy your own) in the Valkyrie Cafe inside the museum from 11:30 to 12:30 both days. You can come for just one of the meetup days, or two, or even all three if you have the availability.

 We'll plan to meet in the entrance lobby Saturday and Sunday at 9am (museum hours are 9 to 5) and then people can journey into the museum on your own or together with friends. For more info on the meetup, click here to get on the Air Force Museum Meetup email list.

 And here's a few more pix from last year at the museum to help convince you that you should make the trip! (and you can also check out the AirForceMuseum AirPigz category for a few more posts)

The 'Swoose' B-17 project in the Air Force Museum restoration shop

Click to read more ...

CoolPix: X-15 Pilots... Does This Spacesuit Make My Butt Look Big?

(click pic for hi-res)   NASA X-15 pilots showing some early space humor in 1966

 I was 5 years old in 1966 when this NASA picture was taken. I definitely remember the North American X-15 being part of my culture growing up from about age 7 on - what an amazing time in aviation and aerospace history! In all, three X-15's were built, with the first of the programs 199 flights taking place in 1959. The program officially ended in December 1970. This high altitude rocket plane, which was launched into flight from a B-52 mothership, was an essential part of the research and development that put Americans into space. Can you even imagine that at its maximum, the X-15 flew up to 354,200 feet (67.08 miles) and at a speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) - Wow!

 This CoolPix is a whole lot more about the pilots tho than the airplane. Given how much these guys were pushing the envelope of flight, it's no surprise that they also knew how to ham it up a bit. It's also interesting that this group of guys represents exactly half of the total number of X-15 pilots. One of them not in this picture was Neil Armstrong. You might have seen the CoolPix of Neil with the X-15 that I posted in February 2010. These are some amazing historical images to be sure!

 Of the three X-15's built, one was tragically lost along with pilot Michael J. Adams in 1967, one is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, and the one pictured here with the playful pilots is on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. That's my cue to mention that a second annual AirPigz meetup at the Air Force Museum is now in the works... it'll most likely take place in late January 2012, and I'd like to encourage some of you to consider meeting up with 10 or 15 of us avgeeks to experience the amazing aviation history on display there.

 I'll be posting more info as we move into December, but if you're interested in being on an email list for more details, send me a quick note at mcc@airpigz.com to let me know. Museum admission is free, and of course there's no charge for the AirPigz meetup on Saturday and/or Sunday. I'll also be planning to take in the behind-the-scenes tour on Friday again (the only day they offer the tour), and I highly recommend you join that experience too, it's amazing. And seeing this X-15 is another example of a piece of aviation history on display there that's worth the trip : )