Model Airplanes

The National Weather Service is forecasting even colder temperatures for this weekend, with temperatures likely to remain below zero through at least Monday morning and lows dipping near 30 degrees below zero.

The cold contributes to a number of problems, including freezing water pipes, power outages, furnaces working overtime and the possibility of hypothermia.

Extreme cold affected overhead power lines, causing outages in the Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative service territory early morning Wednesday. The outages affected approximately 675 Itasca-Mantrap members in parts of Arago, Clover, Savannah and Two Inlets townships. Itasca-Mantrap crews were dispatched shortly after 5 a.m. and worked in the area until power was fully restored at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Itasca-Mantrap members can stay updated on outage information through an outage map at www.itasca-mantrap.com or by following Itasca-Mantrap on Facebook.

Two local towing companies were really busy Thursday, with the phone ringing constantly. Customers requested jump starts or roadside assistance. A third company said they had only four or five calls. One staff member said 99 percent of calls are due to people not plugging in their cars or having a battery that is not charging fully.

Plumbing and heating companies have also seen a jump in calls, mainly due to heating system issues and frozen pipes. Furnaces work harder when they are running continuously in the cold which can cause breakdowns, according to Ryan Sharp of RG Lennox.

“If you have a high-efficiency furnace, check your outside vents because they may be frozen over,” he said. Frost on the vent can be cleaned

Article source: http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/news/4380804-cold-weather-slams-area

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Article source: http://journalstar.com/news/local/indoor-air-show-a-cure-for-pilots-cabin-fever/article_02d74a58-67dd-52a2-af0f-20d583d657b8.html

In a world where many are obsessed with the latest iPhone, it might seem impossible that there’s a small but vigorous group glorying in the use of the simplest of communication tools — the pencil.

But here in Kenosha, there are so many pencil fans that Chet Griffith of Artworks, 4513 Sheridan Road, has devoted a special section of his store to pencil devotees. He calls it the Pencillarium.

“People walk in and they stop and they sort of snicker and shrug and say, ‘Pencils?’” Griffith said. “But then they stop and look and try them out…”

Artworks sells more than a hundred different kinds of pencils. Some are antiques, from 1980s Soviet pencils to $7.50 Schwan Notabenes from the 1920s to $8.25 Eagle Mikados manufactured in the United States before World War II. Others are new pencils, including the extremely popular Blackwing pencils.

“The Blackwings are the gateway drug to pencils,” Griffith said.

It’s hard to explain what makes these pencils so alluring. Some are completely round, some hexagonal. Some are coated with enamel; others are bare wood. Some are skinny, some are fat. Some have hard tips while others make soft lines. As a practical matter, a very nice pencil often stays sharper longer and can be more comfortable to hold.

“You don’t realize your pencil is good or bad until you’ve had a good one,” Griffith said.

But what is it exactly that turns some people into addicts? The Pencillarium has a box filled with index cards listing which pencils have been purchased by

Article source: http://www.kenoshanews.com/life/living/kenosha-art-shop-feeds-local-residents-pencil-obsessions/article_795cf64e-c4a0-5dee-9c41-a16e0348c65b.html

Airplane emissions are a big problem for the climate—and steadily rising. If the aviation sector were a country, it would rank seventh worldwide in carbon pollution. Experts predict that aircraft emissions, on their current trajectory, will triple by 2050 as demand for flights increases. To prevent this dire scenario, a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, along with government and industry collaborators, is attempting to fundamentally redesign airplanes.

Their concept, dubbed the “double-bubble” D8, could significantly reduce aviation’s carbon footprint and improve fuel efficiency if validated in full-scale tests. It entails major changes to the standard 180-passenger Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft—for example, the fuselage has a wider, more oval shape than a conventional jet. “It’s like two bubbles [joined] side by side,” explains Alejandra Uranga, an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering now at the University of Southern California. This modification lets the fuselage itself generate some lift, says Uranga, who is a co-principal investigator for the project, alongside Edward Greitzer of M.I.T. The altered body shape allows the wings and tail to be smaller and lighter, and the aircraft’s nose is also more aerodynamic.

The most significant change, though, is the engine position. Air slows down as it flows over the top of a conventional plane, thereby creating drag and making the craft less efficient. But the D8 design moves the jet’s engines from their usual spot underneath the wings to atop the plane’s body, by the tail—where they suck in and reaccelerate the slow

Article source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-airplane-design-could-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

As air travel controversies go, this one ranks low in violence but high in public relations nightmare potential: A puzzling passenger mix-up, a flight to nowhere and a celebrity couple with a massive social media following.

Passengers on what should have been an 11-hour flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Japan were forced to fly back to L.A. four hours into the trek when the captain of the All Nippon Airways plane learned that someone was onboard by mistake.

The incident probably wouldn’t have become a social media firestorm had it not been for the live commentary provided via Twitter by model Chrissy Teigen, who was flying with her husband, singer John Legend. The two combined have more than 20 million Twitter followers.

The snafu caps a year of flying dangerously, at least as far as airlines’ customer service reputations are concerned.

PIQUA – Edward C. Zabel, 65, passed away at 6:25 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017, at the Upper Valley Medical Center.

He was born May 14, 1952, in Youngstown to the late Roy A. and Ruth (Myers) Zabel.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Pamela R. (Hostetler) Zabel, whom he married Sept. 29, 1979 in Warren.

Other survivors include two sons, Jeremy Zabel of Citrus Heights, Calif. and Zach (Gina) Zabel of Covington; two grandchildren, Emma and Noah Zabel, with another expected soon; one sister, Tina (Keith) Downard of Canfield; and a brother, Raymond (Jennifer) Zabel of Mineral Ridge.

Ed was a 1970 graduate of Hubbard High School, and retired from the Anna Engine Plant of Honda of America following 25 years of employment.

He enjoyed all things aviation, his 1972 Chevelle, Cleveland Indians, building model airplanes and living in the country where he fed the fish in his pond at home. He loved his family, many friends and faithful dog, Brutus. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, at St. Boniface Catholic Church, with the Rev. Fr. Thomas L. Bolte as the celebrant. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday at the Jamieson Yannucci Funeral Home where a prayer service will begin at

Article source: http://www.vindy.com/news/tributes/2017/dec/28/edward-c-zabe/

The Palomar R/C Flying Club has existed since the 1950s and today is populated by a diverse group of people, almost all men, who come from every walk of life. Most live in San Diego’s North County or Riverside County, but some come from elsewhere. High-powered business executives, former mechanics, ex-fighter pilots and others interact daily at the field, drawn together by the various components of their singular hobby.

Article source: http://www.delmartimes.net/encinitas-advocate/news/sd-cm-enc-1229-palomar-radio-flyers-20171219-htmlstory.html