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Category Archives: Vintage Aero

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

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