Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Vintage Aero

EARLY AIR MAIL SNAFUS PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE CAUGHT UP WITH the latest valuation of a rare “Inverted Jenny” air mail stamp. We also began the tale of Lieutenant George Boyle helping to inaugurate air mail … Continue reading →

November 18, 2023 · Leave a comment

EARLY AIR MAIL SNAFUS PART 1

IT’S INTERESTING ENOUGH that a philatelic screwup complicated early U.S. air mail, so too did prenup nepotism. Here in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow are tidbits especially focusing … Continue reading →

November 17, 2023 · 1 Comment

HÉLÈNE DUTRIEU—AVIATRIX AND MORE

I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT HÉLÈNE DUTRIEU from my Minute Epics of Flight, a book that begins with ancient Babylon and Etana’s flight on the back of an eagle and brings … Continue reading →

October 6, 2023 · 4 Comments

AIRCRAFT CUTAWAYS—A VARIETY OF STYLES

THE PURPOSE OF A CUTAWAY, of course, is to reveal inner aspects of something by selectively omitting outer elements. The intent, though, depends on the audience: Is it a technical … Continue reading →

September 20, 2023 · Leave a comment

A FATHER’S DAY GMAX INSPIRATION PART 2

THE FLYING CARPET OF Daughter Suz’s Father’s Day card inspired me to model the Cessna XMC (eXperimental Magic Carpet). Yesterday we looked at the real (single) XMC and (five of … Continue reading →

September 5, 2023 · 1 Comment

A FATHER’S DAY GMAX INSPIRATION PART 1

I WAS RESEARCHING a next GMax project for Microsoft Flight Simulator to follow my Alexander Eaglerock. Reading “Meet the Often-Forgotten Cessna XMC,” by Jason McDowell in Flying, June 7, 2022, … Continue reading →

September 4, 2023 · Leave a comment

JANE’S ART PART 2

YESTERDAY, TIDBITS FOCUSED ON SEVERAL ADS from Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1919. Today in Part 2, we enjoy the high level of technical illustration in this particular Jane’s. Attributions. … Continue reading →

August 5, 2023 · Leave a comment

JANE’S ART PART 1

A FELLOW NAMED JANE WAS a fin-de-siecle gamer with a special interest in naval battles. Wikipedia recounts, “He first began to sketch warships in his teens, and was notable in … Continue reading →

August 4, 2023 · 1 Comment

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, AMELIA EARHART, AND C. ALFRED “CHIEF” ANDERSON—SOARING ENCOUNTERS

WHAT SOARING PERSONALITIES! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, U.S. Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly 1945 to 1952, whom President Harry S … Continue reading →

July 26, 2023 · 5 Comments

AN OLD FRIEND FROM DENVER—THE EAGLEROCK 

EACH TIME I CHANGED PLANES IN DENVER, I admired the Alexander Eaglerock. Now I’ve finally got this fetching biplane as a GMax project for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here are tidbits … Continue reading →

July 25, 2023 · 10 Comments