Model Airplanes

Interested in taking a flight without worrying about the engine blowing out? You can now fly virtually, on an airplane filled with other passengers, on the Kea Nation enclave on the DigiWorldz grid.

Kea Nation has brought in several airplanes recently, including the KNVV Douglas DC, which can carry up to 12 passengers.

“The first test flight on the pre-release model, I flew every variable-sized region in Kea Nation,”  Kea Nation owner Don Hayward — also known in-world as DA Admiral — told Hypergrid Business.

The Kea Nation enclave is comprised of a 127 linked variable-sized regions, with a combined total land area that’s the equivalent of 2,032 standard-sized regions.

The vehicles are available for purchase in DigiWorldz from Virtual Vehicles. They work with any OpenSim version from 8.0.0 to the current and while DigiWorldz uses Bullet physics engine, the vehicles can also work on UbODE and ODE also, DigiWorldz representative and content creator Noxluna Nightfire told Hypergrid Business.

Compared to Second Life, the vehicle has more room to move in OpenSim due to variable-sized regions. Second Life regions are all one standard size.

The airplane is stable and flies better than similar vehicles in Second Life, she said, she said.

“Personally, I find the aircraft smoother to fly and crossings between linked regions are more reliable,” she said.

KNVV Douglas DC-6 is available for free flying. (Image courtesy Kea Nation.)

The model is created by TR Lifter, who is a professional 3D artist and was commissioned for Kea Nation. The meshes are made by Mark Rowles

Article source: https://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2018/04/multi-passenger-airplanes-arrive-on-digiworldz/

David Shuster gripped the model airplane with a light hand, his other twirling the propeller for what seemed like ages, twisting up the rubber band that serves as the plane’s power source.

The plane was featherweight, built from scratch out of balsa wood. Named the Cloud Tramp, it was designed after a real plane of the 1930s.

“Kids often get tired and think, ‘Oh, that’s enough,’” Shuster said, still twirling, twirling, twirling. “No. It’s a lot of winding.”

Finally, he and the model plane were ready. He faced into a faint breeze, hoisted the Cloud Tramp aloft and let it fly.

He already loved model airplanes.

But after flying in a Piper Cub airplane over Gainesville at age 14 — taking off from a dusty field now known as Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport — John B. “Jack” McKibbon Jr.’s interest in aviation soared.

It would be lifelong passion.

On Saturday, April 28, McKibbon will be recognized for a history of flying, from bombers in World War II to planes for his business travel, with his induction in the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

The honor is set to take place at the 2018 Annual Enshrinement Banquet at the Century of Flight Hangar at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins. The museum is at the Robins Air Force Base.

“I was very surprised to know I was even nominated,” McKibbon said during a recent interview at his office at McKibbon Hospitality in Gainesville.

McKibbon, 94, was nominated by the Rev. Tom Smiley, senior pastor at Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville and a close personal friend.

“Jack McKibbon represents what I think is the best possible candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame,” Smiley said. “I’m very, very pleased the selection committee accepted that recommendation.”

McKibbon was born in Newnan but grew up in Gainesville, graduating from Gainesville High School. He went on to North Georgia College (now University of North Georgia), graduating into service during World War II.

“The war came and I had no idea of doing anything else but being a pilot,” McKibbon said.

His first solo flight was on Oct. 20, 1943 in Arcadia, Fla., and

Article source: https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/life/gainesville-veteran-businessman-joins-georgia-aviation-hall-fame/

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Article source: http://www.sanduskyregister.com/story/201804210012