Some airframe designers have built in offset for the vertical fin to help compensate for the phenomena that move an airplane’s direction of flight to the left.
Of Wings & Things
A time capsule of American aviation
A 1924 issue of the magazine “Aviation” is a microcosm of the post-World War I aviation scene in America. The air-minded segment of the population was impatient for aeronautical advancements, yet in some ways those advances were held back by a glut of war surplus Jennies and OX-5 engines that were offered to civilians on the cheap.
On track: Finding the right landing gear for giant bombers
On the way to finding the best landing gear for giant bombers, some looked to using a track mechanism, similar to a tank.
On seven wings and a prayer
The ultimate path was illuminated by the failures, as well as the successes. That’s the year [1916] a patent was filed for the Johns Multiplane, a seven-winged whopper ultimately powered by three Liberty engines.
What engines could the B-17 use?
The melodious Wright Cyclone motors of a stock B-17 confirm their ability to power this classic bomber. But the airframe proved capable of adapting other engines for other purposes.
Airmail history in a tiny town
The tiny town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, with a population just under 300, is home to a museum that features historic mementoes of the early days of airmail.
Did two Wrights make it wrong?
An eagle-eyed reader caught an error from our resident historian about a photo of the Wright brothers.
Vultee’s first airplane foretold the future
Jerry Vultee’s all-metal single-engine V-1 of 1933 foretold the future, but federal restrictions killed its chance as an airliner and just 27 were built.
We wouldn’t have the planes without the people
It took people to design, build, and fly the airplanes that are featured in Of Wings & Things. Columnist Frederick A. Johnsen takes a brief look at six of those aviation personalities – some you may know, others you may not.