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Category Archives: Vintage Aero

AIRMAIL TIDBITS PART 2

YESTERDAY WE CELEBRATED the first U.S. airmail. Today in Part 2, a pilot named Lindbergh (yes, that Lindbergh) practices his expertise prior to a considerably longer flight. And others of … Continue reading →

June 30, 2023 · 4 Comments

U.S. AIRMAIL TIDBITS PART 1

THOSE OF A CERTAIN AGE will recall writing “AIR MAIL” on envelopes (and adding extra postage) for this special service. Imagine that; how quaint. Posting “letters” to be delivered by … Continue reading →

June 29, 2023 · 6 Comments

THE 1929 GOLDEN BEAR CABIN PLANE—SOARING PLANS, SORRY DEMISE PART 2

YESTERDAY IN PART 1, THE GOLDEN BEAR NC-1 had soaring plans of being an all-metal airplane for private flyers, one bearing resemblance to Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. Alas, a … Continue reading →

June 20, 2023 · 2 Comments

THE 1929 GOLDEN BEAR CABIN PLANE—SOARING PLANS, SORRY DEMISE PART 1

AS DESCRIBED IN CLASSIC AIRPLANES of the 30’s and Aircraft of the Roaring 20’s, “The November 1939 issue of ‘Popular Aviation’ carried a photo sequence of the destruction of a … Continue reading →

June 19, 2023 · Leave a comment

KATIE’S AEROPLANES—AND MINE

KATIE HOUNSOME IS A TALENTED ILLUSTRATOR with an evident love of classic aeroplanes. “My parents think it’s hilarious that I’m so retro,” she told Mick Walsh in Classic & Sports … Continue reading →

May 1, 2023 · 5 Comments

A HOBBY DIVERSION

FOR A LONG TIME, MY GMAX/FLTSIM HOBBY focused on pre-WWI civilian aircraft. Examples appearing here at SimanaitisSays include Cody’s 1909 BAA-1, first to fly in Great Britain; 1910’s Coandă “Jet” … Continue reading →

April 2, 2023 · 6 Comments

VIKTOR BELYAEV’S FLYING WING PART 2

SOVIET AIRCRAFT DESIGNER VIKTOR BELYAEV had faith in his batwing idea, but one thing and another complicated matters. We’ve already discussed its rear gunner locations being too cramped to operate … Continue reading →

March 3, 2023 · 3 Comments

VIKTOR BELYAEV’S FLYING WING PART 1

I ENJOY BUILDING SCREWBALL AIRCRAFT with GMax for importation into Microsoft Flight Simulator. These include the Stipa-Caproni, which Daughter Suz calls the flying toilet-paper roll; the Pemberton-Billing Nighthawk, which I … Continue reading →

March 2, 2023 · 2 Comments

FLIGHT-SIM STIPA-CAPRONI

A WISE YOUNG WOMAN taught me “Never say never.” Well, a fat lot of good that did, because as recently as October 13 of last year, I noted that the … Continue reading →

January 9, 2023 · 3 Comments

GMAX/FLTSIM IMITATES LIFE

SO THERE I WAS, just like SAAB engineers with their 21A fighter: They wanted to convert it to jet power. For details, see “Saab 21—Where’s My Prop?” here at SimanaitisSays. … Continue reading →

December 8, 2022 · 6 Comments