Model Airplanes | Even older kids like to fly

On February 20, 1962, Americans sat around their radios or TVs, transfixed by every update as astronaut John Glenn was launched into space, and became the first American to orbit the Earth. It was a big deal, not only for the country, but for the world. But as with many major scientific milestones, individual icons often overshadow the people behind the scenes. Back at NASA, the women “computers”—mathematicians—were an integral part of the approximately 1.2 million tests and simulations that got Glenn into space.

“These women really were amazing,” says Margot Lee Shetterly. “American superheroes, ordinary extraordinary people.”

A University of Virginia alum and Charlottesville resident, Shetterly is the author of the New York Times best-seller Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race (Hidden Figures, the movie, opens on Christmas Day). In the book, Shetterly lays out the histories and the story of black female mathematicians and physicists such as Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson, who became human computers for the West Area Computing Group at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

DF-01466_R - Janelle Mone stars as Mary Jackson in HIDDEN FIGURES. Photo Credit: Hopper Stone. — Janelle Monáe stars as Mary Jackson in Hidden Figures. 20th Century Fox

Shetterly spent much of her early life around the scientists, physicists and engineers of NASA. Her father started work there in 1966 as a co-op student, and Shetterly remembers

Article source: http://www.c-ville.com/local-author-spotlights-radar-female-mathematicians-nasa/

Posted in Model Airpanes | Tagged hobbies, model airplanes | Leave a comment

Kenneth Snelson, Sculptor Who Fused Art, Science and Engineering, Dies at 89

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Writer

Log In

Don’t have an account? Sign up here »

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/arts/design/kenneth-snelson-dead-sculptor.html

Posted in Model Airpanes | Tagged hobbies, model airplanes | Leave a comment

Travel|Smaller Bathrooms on Planes Pose Challenges for Passengers

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Writer

Log In

Don’t have an account? Sign up here »

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/travel/smaller-airplane-bathrooms-challenges-for-passengers.html

Posted in Model Airpanes | Tagged hobbies, model airplanes | Leave a comment

You Crashed Your Drone. Now What? – Popular Mechanics

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Writer

You watched your fragile, complicated, expensive flying camera bounce between tree branches like a pachinko machine, then thud against the ground. Or maybe you hit the throttle, then let off on the throttle, only to have the drone refuse to listen and shoot out of sight into the sky. It happens to everyone. Everyone we know, at least. But what no one seemed to know was what do you do about it? We kamikazeed a drone and found out.

Option 1: Find a Repair Center

Even if the damage looks minor, pay for an authorized shop. The crash may have knocked circuit boards loose, affecting much more than you see. Call the manufacturer or check its website to see if there’s an authorized repair center anywhere near you. There are about a dozen scattered throughout the country. Only two do sanctioned DJI drone repairs. The rest work with Yuneec and other brands. The biggest benefit here will be turnaround time, which, compared to the huge queue you’ll face when sending a drone back to the manufacturer (see Option 2), will take around two weeks instead of six or more. You’re also more likely to deal with an invested human being.

Option 2: Send it to the Manufacturer

Returning drones to the manufacturer can be a horrible experience—multi-month waits, indifferent customer service, warranty disputes—but if you don’t have an authorized repair shop nearby, there’s no better option. The huge facilities have factory parts

Article source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/how-to/a23807/crashed-your-drone/

Posted in Model Airpanes | Tagged model airplane parts | Leave a comment