And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
You've got it just backwards. If you are not over 40, you've never even SEEN three pieces of tail at once - much less had them successfully under your control.
I have wondered every time I see a Connie, why did they go with three vertical rudders instead of just one? I still think it is a beautiful, graceful plane.
So they could have the necessary control surface area without having structural issues with too long a moment arm a really tall single vertical stabilizer would require.
"So they could have the necessary control surface area without having structural issues with too long a moment arm a really tall single vertical stabilizer would require." And would still fit in existing hangars.
Remember my dad coming down the stairway rolled up to one (TWA if memory serves) back in 1958. Big day outing to welcome him at the airport for a young kid. The even more fun part was the "gondola" that was slung under the belly, lowered on steel cables (two at each corner) and watching the ground crew leaning over the side and hauling out all the luggage. Luggage traveled unpressurized and at ambient temperature no matter the altitude. Recall dad saying to never get cabin seating near the tail, the airframe twisted and flexed there giving some motion sickness.
A Guess: Maybe being it had tricycle gears with the tail-end high in the air that normal hangers of the time couldn't handle a tall vert stab....Most hangers were designed around aircraft of the era and they were tail-draggers? Remember....just a guess!
Hi C.W., The "Lockheed Constellation"..."Eastern Airlines... Golden Falcon!!!" the "FIRST" airplane I ever flew in!!! My Dad, Chief Engineer of the SS MAYA was going to be in port in "Baltimore" for a week or so and had me, my little sister and Mom fly up from New Orleans!! I was 12 years old .. it was June of 1957!! I have flown in (and JUMPED OUT of!!) countless types of aircraft from 7AC Champs to "747's" ..and the "jumped out of list" is another story!! But!!..Have to say ...that "First Flight" was "Majestic!!!!!!"
Not for a man over the age of forty.
ReplyDeleteHe can't handle three pieces of tail at once....
Old Air Force Joke.
You've got it just backwards. If you are not over 40, you've never even SEEN three pieces of tail at once - much less had them successfully under your control.
Deleteconny
ReplyDeleteI have wondered every time I see a Connie, why did they go with three vertical rudders instead of just one? I still think it is a beautiful, graceful plane.
ReplyDeleteSo they could have the necessary control surface area without having structural issues with too long a moment arm a really tall single vertical stabilizer would require.
Delete"So they could have the necessary control surface area without having structural issues with too long a moment arm a really tall single vertical stabilizer would require."
DeleteAnd would still fit in existing hangars.
Remember my dad coming down the stairway rolled up to one (TWA if memory serves) back in 1958. Big day outing to welcome him at the airport for a young kid. The even more fun part was the "gondola" that was slung under the belly, lowered on steel cables (two at each corner) and watching the ground crew leaning over the side and hauling out all the luggage. Luggage traveled unpressurized and at ambient temperature no matter the altitude. Recall dad saying to never get cabin seating near the tail, the airframe twisted and flexed there giving some motion sickness.
ReplyDeleteA Guess: Maybe being it had tricycle gears with the tail-end high in the air that normal hangers of the time couldn't handle a tall vert stab....Most hangers were designed around aircraft of the era and they were tail-draggers?
ReplyDeleteRemember....just a guess!
Absolutely correct. Would have had to have had a B29/B17 huge single tail and civil aviation hangers were tail dragger design affiliated.
DeleteThat's what I've read too.
DeleteA single vertical stabilizer would have been too high for most hangers of the time.
The Lockheed Constellation. One beautiful airplane.
ReplyDeleteHi C.W.,
ReplyDeleteThe "Lockheed Constellation"..."Eastern Airlines... Golden Falcon!!!" the "FIRST" airplane I ever flew in!!! My Dad, Chief Engineer of the SS MAYA was going to be in port in "Baltimore" for a week or so and had me, my little sister and Mom fly up from New Orleans!! I was 12 years old .. it was June of 1957!!
I have flown in (and JUMPED OUT of!!) countless types of aircraft from 7AC Champs to "747's" ..and the "jumped out of list" is another story!!
But!!..Have to say ...that "First Flight" was "Majestic!!!!!!"
Audentes, Fortuna, Iuvat!!!!,
skybill