TRIVA FUN

[k0ua]

Don't recall the name, but I do recall reading about it years ago; you're right, it was ugly...and seems it had an exposed sear that would allow the gun to fire...without pulling the trigger...if pressure was applied.

You have explained its safety defect and confirmed its appearance. Two points out of three.. It is the type 94. It fires the anemic 8mm nambu cartridge like the type 14. But is not a very safe or handsome pistol.

 

[turnkey4099]

What is the most unusual material for a ship to be made of????
Its not wood or metal.

I saw 1 sitting on the bottom of the bay in the Philippians. Big hole in the side of it.

Ice for one. "Pycrete"

 

[turnkey4099]

I think k0ua already answered that correctly in post 751. Someone else thought that the flying bedstead was used to train pilots for the lunar lander. That was not correct. That vehicle was called the LLRV, and it was Neil Armstrong that crashed it.

That was me and no it was not wrong:

Crash Almost Killed Apollo 11 Astronaut ...



Video for flying bedstead crash▶ 0:37


www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJa4yQ0AIbU




"Dec 6, 2013 - Uploaded by Roy Dawson
Despite the incident, Armstrong praised the craft humorously dubbed the "flying bedstead," saying it did ..."

Googling "flying bedstead" will lead you as the first hit "niel Armstrong almost killed by crash..."

2nd hit is the British one. No, I didn't google it before I answered the first time.

Harry K

 

[2LaneCruzer]

One U.S. fighter plane in production at the beginning of WWII was exported in huge numbers to the Soviet Union. Despised by both the U.S. and England, this fighter is reputed to have the highest number of individual kills of any U.S. produced fighter and also was flown by many Russian aces. What was it, who made it and what was it's most unique feature?

 

[RSKY]

The elevator controls the speed on an aircraft.

 

[RSKY]

The U.S. made Bell P-39 Aircobra was exported to the USSR in great numbers because the USAAF didn't want it. It's engine was located behind the pilot and drive the prop with a shaft between the pilot's legs. It was also unusual because it had a 37mm cannon firing thru the prop hub. The Soviets usually changed the cannon to a 20mm or 23mm, don't remember which, just remember reading that they did. The P-39 didn't have a supercharger and was useless above 15,000 feet which is why it wasn't wanted by the U.S. or Brits. Most combat in Russia was at low altitude were the Aircobra excelled. Also the 37mm cannon was very low velocity and not good for air to air fights.

 

[crash325]

Could not find pictures of the machine. Or any reference to it being called a flying bedstead.
Watched film of it many years ago ( news reels??) Guess that was where the name came from.

Igor Sikorsky's quest for a practical helicopter began in 1938, when as the Engineering Manager of the Vought-Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation, he was able to convince the directors of United Aircraft that his years of study and research into rotary-wing flight problems would lead to a breakthrough. His first experimental machine, the VS-300 was test flown by Sikorsky on 14 September 1939 tethered by cables.[3] In developing the concept of rotary-wing flight, Sikorsky was the first to introduce a single engine to power both the main and tail rotor systems. The only previous successful attempt at a single-lift rotor helicopter, the Yuriev-Cheremukhin TsAGI-1EA in 1931 in the Soviet Union, used a pair of uprated, Russian-built Gnome Monosoupape rotary engines of 120 hp each for its power. For later flights of his VS-300, Sikorsky also added a vertical aerofoil surface to the end of the tail to assist anti-torque but this was later removed when it proved to be ineffective.[4]

The cyclic control was found to be difficult to perfect, and led to Sikorsky locking the cyclic and adding two smaller vertical-axis lifting rotors to either side aft of the tail boom. [5] By varying pitch of these rotors simultaneously, fore and aft control was provided. Roll control was provided by differential pitching of the blades. In this configuration, it was found that the VS-300 could not fly forward easily and Sikorsky joked about turning the pilot's seat around.[4]

 

[k0ua]

One U.S. fighter plane in production at the beginning of WWII was exported in huge numbers to the Soviet Union. Despised by both the U.S. and England, this fighter is reputed to have the highest number of individual kills of any U.S. produced fighter and also was flown by many Russian aces. What was it, who made it and what was it's most unique feature?

Aerocobra... it had the engine, behind the seat didn't it, and a drive shaft in a tunnel going forward maybe? I don't know the manufacture...

 

[k0ua]

Aerocobra... it had the engine, behind the seat didn't it, and a drive shaft in a tunnel going forward maybe? I don't know the manufacture...

I am a bit late... and I guess I should have kept reading..

 

[farmer2009]

Anybody want to guess at the spur questions.