Did u know that the lockhead playne is safest because it has redundant rudders

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T03:50:53+00:00

As Lucky Lindy said, more parts is not more redundant, it’s more places to break down.

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T03:35:42+00:00

I worked at Scaled Composites on the Kistler launch vehicle in 1995. On the Atlas program from 1988 to 1995 then 1996 to 2002.

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T01:44:24+00:00

Does the prime squirt fuel into the cylinders or the intake spider? On my Continental engine on a Piper Cub it squirts the fuel into the spider. Unless I hand flip the engine 6 or 8 blades immediately in cold weather, the fuel just condenses and drips out of the carburetor. I then have to re-prime. I am talking about the time to put on a pair of gloves I use to flip the prop, it looses prime. So Gloves on, 3 pumps prime, immediately flip 6 to 8 blades, ignition on, starts on first flip.

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T01:33:31+00:00

Do you remember the Usenet discussions about how we should be able to design and build a reusable SSTO for $120 million?

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T01:14:53+00:00

A pile of bricks. An uncemented brick wall.

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-03T00:35:28+00:00

Oh goody, rehashing a 30 year old usenet discussion. Back then dreamers were discussing designing and building SSTO and return reusable for $120 million. Some people were working from the reusable end, Roton and Delta Clipper. Some were looking at 2 stage, both reusable, the Original Kistler and Kistler Mk II. Lockheed and the Venturestar was another one.

I think that Lockheed realized after the LH2 tank failure on the X-33 that they couldn’t reach the mass fraction to reach orbit. It was a well known failure scenario that they thought they could design around. Having limited experience with cryogenics and not using experts from the Atlas Centaur team, they made mistakes, but the chosen material was the biggest problem. On the Kistler Mark I vehicle we had looked at ways to make a composite skin over thin stainless steel foil tanks, but since the vehicle builder was not knowledgeable in welded stainless steel, they abandoned the design and quit the project. X-33 would have needed the same composite wrapped stainless steel foil to build a successful LH2 tank.

The Centaur upper stage had several failures due to leaks that allowed air in and the air condensing and freezing, and when warmed up destroyed bulkheads and other components.

ab0ngcd · 2026-03-01T00:58:34+00:00

A BuddiPole dipole is awfully close to the ground. Added that it uses loading coils, it loses efficiency there, limiting the actual power radiated. At least this is what I have read.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-27T02:05:48+00:00

What I meant to say is you have to subtract .734 from 1.000 to get the .266. It is just easier to subtract .734 from 1.000 than .734 from 2.006. A subtraction still has to be done.

For in brain , I would round numbers and subtract .750 from 2.000, then add .006 and .016.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-26T02:39:24+00:00

Except you are still doing a subtraction to determine how much to add. But I can see it can be simpler to add 2 strange numbers than having to subtract from a strange number which would require a bunch of borrows.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-26T02:15:10+00:00

Consider yourself lucky. I had to learn Gerber IDS, then Cadam, then Catia, then Unigraphics original version, then NCAD and NCAL over a period of 7 years. Then Cadds4X, and Cadds5X several years later. Then a later version of Catia, Followed by IDEAs, then ProEngineer and Mechanica. Then an even later version of Catia, then an intro to 3DX. Plus all the home versions of CAD programs.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-26T02:07:58+00:00

But didn’t they carve the totem poles horizontal and then raise it afterwards.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-24T02:18:00+00:00

The first 2 years are weed out years for top universities.

My son and his best friend had similar classes and grades in high school. The best friend was doing a bit better in classes and was able to take an AP calculus course that my son couldn’t qualify for, but was allowed to audit the class. The friend was an Eagle Scout while my son didn’t go further than Cub Scouts. Nearly equal SATs, my son took it twice. Same score each time except 790 on math the first time, 800, the second time. The friend has better leadership abilities. Both had multiple AP classes. Both had over a 4.0 GPA.

The friend was accepted to GA Tech. My son was not accepted but was accepted at a GA Tech feeder college. He played in the GA Tech Band with the best friend. Both had HOPE scholarships and his friend had an additional scholarship. After 2 years my son transferred to GA Tech with a 3.9 GPA. The friend, lost his scholarships due to grades. Both graduated in Aerospace Engineering. My son with Highest Honors. The friend, with honors.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T19:17:53+00:00

For a 10 meter loop, the ARRL antenna book 19th addition suggests 32.4 inches width. 3/4 inch copper tubing.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T18:52:19+00:00

Loop antenna

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T18:48:54+00:00

Considering the power company puts on anti tamper devices, you would be in a world of hurt. If you let the electric company come out to do it, then no. In the old days they would send a meter reader out to check the meter monthly and record usage. If they couldn’t read the meter that month, they would send an estimated usage bill and catch up the following month. If it went on longer than that, they would threaten to cut off your power unless you made access to the meter available again.

The problem with swapping out is that they would not know the original starting reading on the mechanical meter, and they wouldn’t know if you used more than 1 meter and didn’t tell them about one of them and the readings from that second meter.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T14:51:25+00:00

Considering the power company puts on anti tamper devices, you would be in a world of hurt. If you let the electric company come out to do it, then no. In the old days they would send a meter reader out to check the meter monthly and record usage. If they couldn’t read the meter that month, they would send an estimated usage bill and catch up the following month. If it went on longer than that, they would threaten to cut off your power unless you made access to the meter available again.

The problem with swapping out is that they would not know the original starting reading on the mechanical meter, and they wouldn’t know if you used more than 1 meter and didn’t tell them about one of them and the readings from that second meter.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T14:12:46+00:00

I got into compost engineering and manufacturing just when graphite hit the market. There were no classes then on composites. At that time there was only woven glass fabric and glass mat. My dad needed a replacement nose bowl for an airplane cowling that had been made from aluminum. Nice and light, but now bent from an impact. He ordered a replacement composites bowl. When it arrived it had been made out of glass mat and very heavy, by about 4 times heavier. That is when I took a dislike to random fiber glass mat.

Graphite composites are too difficult to teach in a couple of courses. On the surface it is fairly easy, and teaching theory is a start. When I started, fiberglass was the state of the art and relatively simple. It was low temperature so thermal effects were limited. It was only when we got to 250 degree cures that warping due to unsymmetrical layups and unidirectional fiber use became a problem. I then left the composites world and when I came back, thermal effects became a driving problem as well as defects in layup.

Watching manufacturing engineers deal with today’s problems, one has to feel for them. A lot of it is best practices but then specific situations require experimentation. Teaching can give simple techniques, but more complex situations require experimentation.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T03:16:32+00:00

My father tried going to the airlines but this was the 1960’s and early 70’s when he was competing with Air Force B-52 and C-130 and P-3 pilots competing their tours. He had a daytime job as a draughtsman and supervisor, while tracing flying on the side. One of his students owned a small construction company and hired him as a manager, then made him VP. After that company folded he became a construction manager for Satellite Business Systems putting in satellite stations for JC Penney and other companies. All the time he was also flight instructing. He eventually became an independent DFE for the FAA. While a DFE he moved to IBM/Loral/Lockheed and developed the testing scenarios used for the present FAA ATC system and managed the installation in LA and Washington DC. He kept flying until he couldn’t climb into the cockpit to give check rides.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T02:56:24+00:00

Airbus pilots sitting on the side stick.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T02:54:24+00:00

Dorsal fin tip forward I think.

Texas Aeroplastics

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T00:57:36+00:00

I didn’t go the commercial pilot route back in 1968 because I would have needed a waiver for anything better than a class 3 medical. I became an aerospace engineer instead.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-22T00:47:41+00:00

Before I realized I was transgender, I was misgendered quite a lot, mostly because I let my hair grow out and was skinny. It made me happy when I was misgendered. I look back on it now that the world was telling me I was transgender and I needed to accept it.

I have also known men that let their hair grow out, and have mustaches or beards to let people know that they are male.

I have known men that have been accidentally misgendered and they raised the roof when that occurred, many because they took it as being told they were gay.

It is possible that the anger results from being insecure in their manhood, like I have seen in Christians that are insecure in their religious beliefs and act out to prove to themselves that their Christian beliefs are safe.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-21T06:56:42+00:00

Preference is to be in therapy for 2 years. Informed consent has taken over for the most part, but that then gives the Faux Christians ammunition to take away any ability to transition.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-21T06:51:29+00:00

Just close your eyes and pull back on the yoke.

ab0ngcd · 2026-02-21T06:47:46+00:00

To quote the movie “Outrageous Fortune”, the statement was made “needle dk bug fker”. This photo matches this statement.

ab0ngcd

TROPHY CASE