One of the best shows on earth is getting underway off the coast of California as the gray whales make their annual migration north. Biplane, Air Combat & Warbird Adventures in Carlsbad, Calif., offers you a chance to watch the show from a vantage point 1,500 feet in the air, from the cockpit of a […]
The newest jet jockeys
University of Florida scientists have grown rat brain cells in a petri dish and taught them to fly a fighter plane, according to school officials. The “”brain,”” grown from 25,000 neural cells extracted from a single embryo, has been taught to fly an F-22 jet simulator, they claim. “”When we first hooked it up, the […]
Snail mail becomes air mail
If you are an aircraft buff and a stamp collector, the United States Postal Service is about to deliver for you in a big way. This summer the post office will make available 10 stamp designs titled “”American Advances in Aviation.”” The designs, painted by William S. Phillips, an award-winning historical aviation artist, are models […]
Too many rules
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Do you ever get the feeling that there is an increasing number of rules and regulations for flying? I do, because here in Washington I am constantly exposed to what the FAA, Congress, NTSB, Homeland Security, and other agencies and departments are doing. I did some cursory research to see just how […]
Can you have more power and reliability?
QUESTION: It seems that most automotive engines can be boosted in power to approximately one horsepower per cubic inch (obviously at the expense of reliability). Would it be possible to boost a Lycoming 720 engine to, say, 500 or 600 hp and be reliable enough to compete in a race such as the ones at […]
What can be done about exhaust valve sticking?
I received an interesting letter from Kurt Wegge, who flies a VariEze with a TCM O-200 engine, and has experienced numerous incidents of exhaust valve sticking. He was wondering if Marvel Mystery Oil would help reduce this. Kurt also noted documents from the FAA (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin No. NE 03-45, dated June 27, 2003) […]
Curtiss F9C
By PETER M. BOWERS. One of the most memorable airplanes in the U.S. Navy inventory is the little Curtiss F9C “Sparrowhawk” of 1931-36. Aside from its distinctive gull-winged configuration and small size for a contemporary fighter, the F9Cs are best remembered for their unique role as auxiliaries to large rigid airships. They were actually carried […]
The Thorp T-211
Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft has been called the most sweeping FAA regulation since the 1950s, holding the promise of a “revival” of aviation. Others refer to it as the biggest event in 50 years, pointing to the GI bill after World War II, which helped so many returning soldiers become pilots. But some still may shy […]
Ice in fuel system leads to loss of engine power
Ice in the fuel system, which resulted in restricted fuel flow and a subsequent loss of engine power.