Simanaitis Says

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Category Archives: Vintage Aero

TUPOLEV’S SST PART 2

YESTERDAY’S PART 1 discussed Russian aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev’s various responses to Soviet “requests.” A most recent one involved Supersonic Transport competition between Russia and the West. Today in Part … Continue reading

November 26, 2021 · Leave a comment

TUPOLEV’S SST PART 1

RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT DESIGNER Andrei Tupolev was familiar with Soviet “requests.” His 1932 ANT-20 Maksim Gorki was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this Russian writer’s first publication. This vast aircraft’s … Continue reading

November 25, 2021 · Leave a comment

B.C. HUCKS’ MARVELOUS STARTER

THE IMAGE OF firing up a vintage aeroplane is embedded in my mind: An intrepid fellow manually turns the propeller through a couple of rotations. The pilot yells  “Contact!” The … Continue reading

November 13, 2021 · 1 Comment

RECALLING THE MARTIN AM MAULER

A RECENT REFERENCE to control-line aircraft modeling here at SimanaitisSays evoked strikingly similar memories from reader Bob Storck. As a kid, he too enjoyed carrier event with model Navy aircraft … Continue reading

November 1, 2021 · Leave a comment

BLÉRIOT 125 PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE LEARNED about Louis Blériot’s enthusiasm for air transport, as exemplified in his company’s development in the early 1930s of the innovative Blériot 125. Today in Part 2, here … Continue reading

September 29, 2021 · Leave a comment

BLÉRIOT 125 PART 1

LOUIS BLÉRIOT BELIEVED in air transport. In 1908, Blériot became the first to fly La Manche, what we English speakers call the English Channel. Barely three years later, on commission … Continue reading

September 28, 2021 · 1 Comment

TWENTY-SIX MILES ACROSS THE SEA, A PBY HAS TRANSPORTED ME

ACTUALLY IT WAS a bit farther, around 65 miles from the harbors of St. Thomas to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The PBY Catalina was flown by Antilles Airboat, with even … Continue reading

September 4, 2021 · 2 Comments

THE ART OF IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

FROM 1924 TO 1939, Imperial Airways linked the British Empire during what in retrospect is termed aviation’s Golden Age. It was a golden age of aviation graphics too, as displayed … Continue reading

August 27, 2021 · Leave a comment

HENRI’S LIMO PART 3

PIONEER AIRCRAFT MODELS are fun to build on the computer. Not just sleek shiny tubes, they have everything hanging out to admire. My rendering of Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe’s … Continue reading

August 9, 2021 · Leave a comment

HENRI’S LIMO PART 2

YESTERDAY WE MET Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe, “the Oil King of Europe” and pioneer aviation enthusiast. Today we learn of his commissioning Louis Blériot to build a flying limousine—in … Continue reading

August 8, 2021 · Leave a comment