There was only 16 squadrons of RAF fighters that used 100 octane during the BoB. The Fw190A could not fly with the outer cannon removed. There was no Fw190A-8s flying with the JGs in 1945.
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,475PanzerMeyer
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PanzerMeyer
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Do kids these days still play with kites? I have the impression that kind of died out sometime in the 1990's.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
There wasn't much around the neighborhood I grew in at the time except cane fields, but there were plenty of empty lots and a little store within walking distance where the neighborhood kids would buy bat kites. We'd line the rigid front edges with razor blades and have kite duels, the idea being to cut the other guy's string and sometimes kite if you got lucky. Sometimes the losing kite could be saved, sometimes not. Yeah, we weren't very bright.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,475PanzerMeyer
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PanzerMeyer
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I remember buying those cheap kites wrapped inside plastic bags at places like KMart and Woolworth's when I was a kid. If I was lucky the kite would last me a couple of days.
Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 06/29/2105:05 PM.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
I remember buying those cheap kites wrapped inside plastic bags at places like KMart and Woolworth's when I was a kid. If I was lucky the kite would last me a couple of days.
Yep, they were mostly disposable.
Something else this little neighborhood store sold (they knew their market)...
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,475PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
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Ah yes, the balsa wood planes with the rubber-band powered propellers. I stung my fingers many a' time by turning the propeller once too many times which caused the rubber band to either snap or come off the little metal hinge.
Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 06/29/2105:22 PM.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Ah yes, the balsa wood planes with the rubber-band powered propellers. I stung my fingers many a' time by turning the propeller once too many times which caused the rubber band to either snap or come off the little metal hinge.
That's a right of passage all children should go through.
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,475PanzerMeyer
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PanzerMeyer
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Originally Posted by wormfood
That's a right of passage all children should go through.
Absolutely! I'd say that's especially true for kids who want to be hardcore flight simmers some day.
I distinctly remember having a Ki-84, BF-109 and P-38 balsa wood models.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
My Dad took this even further with my brother and I, and built scale RC aircraft with fuel powered motors. I was never very good at controlling them from the ground, though. That whole perspective thing was hard to wrap my head around as a young child, and found flight simulators far more manageable from a cockpit perspective. Still, I recall when my Dad asked me to set up Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer 2.0 with two Tandy joysticks, and set the perspective to the ATC tower so he could practice flying his RC aircraft on the PC.
In a way, he's indirectly responsible for my love of aviation. He is, however, directly responsible for my love of astronomy, for when I was five years old he bought us National Geographic's "Our Universe," and the rest is history.
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Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
My Dad took this even further with my brother and I, and built scale RC aircraft with fuel powered motors.
Yeah I wanted one of those for so long as a kid but my family was far too into the "lower middle class" rung for me to ever get one.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
One of the RC clubs I used to frequent had a group of guys that were into kytes.Some of their kits were quite impressive. On days when it was just too windy to fly the planes, they would get the kytes up in the air. The kids and us adults enjoyed them for sure. .
I remember buying those cheap kites wrapped inside plastic bags at places like KMart and Woolworth's when I was a kid. If I was lucky the kite would last me a couple of days.
Yep, they were mostly disposable.
Something else this little neighborhood store sold (they knew their market)...
Before we flew any of them we made patterns so that the damaged pieces could be replaced.
We were mostly into control line models, .049 and .15 size engines. Combat with streamers that had to be cut and stunt flying.
There was only 16 squadrons of RAF fighters that used 100 octane during the BoB. The Fw190A could not fly with the outer cannon removed. There was no Fw190A-8s flying with the JGs in 1945.
The classic Cox planes with the .15 or .049 glow engines that were famous for being hard to get started. I think everyone had on of those (or the Gremlin car they sold) Many people didn't care for the whole control line thing the first time they tries it. Lot of dizzy people falling down. Watching control line combat competition is crazy. Don't know how they do it.
We were also young, some pre teens and early teens, and unsupervised.
With the smaller engines we flew on the side lawns but moved to a farmer's field for the larger engines.
There was only 16 squadrons of RAF fighters that used 100 octane during the BoB. The Fw190A could not fly with the outer cannon removed. There was no Fw190A-8s flying with the JGs in 1945.
My father had a saying. The smaller the glow engine, the bigger the pain in the @$$ it was.
You wouldn't believe how hard it is getting (around this area anyways) to find a place were the RC guys can fly their "slimers" Field after field has been closed around here over the last decade. The last two club fields are being hassled by home developers wanting the land. One club is even being bothered by a guy who owns the land next to it. He has his own plane and landing strip. He doesn't like the guys flying there anymore. He has actually made a few very low over passes on them while they are out there. They have reported his tail number to the FAA, but nothing has come of it. The county doesn't want to get involved, so there is a no resolution. He has even come out and yelled at guys for flying (even though they are following very strict club safety rules). Even the AMA seems like they want to stay out of it. The days of a farmer letting you play around with these things on his property are long gone.
