We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:46:42 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Okay, I guess the suspense kept everybody awake all night, so I won’t torture you anymore (oh, won’t that sentence draw some trenchcoated traffic from google--can’t wait). The Whatziss is the Shaft Pinion and Reduction (SPR--pronounced “spur” and so I shall refer to it as such in the narrative) gear from an OH-6A. Background Now, because the Loach was intended for scouting in Vietnam and aeroscouts in Vietnam got shot down a lot, the aircraft was designed to be as light, as maneuverable and as inexpensive as possible. Basic flyaway cost of the ’65 model was about $12,000, which was... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html Thu, 18 May 2006 02:20:19 -0600 private life. heh.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45487 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45487 Sat, 20 May 2006 02:47:56 -0600 *That* explains the red marks on your wrists at the conference. And here I thought it was red-head sun reax. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45468 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45468 Fri, 19 May 2006 13:25:36 -0600 special...occasions. Glad you didn't wind up in the swamp. That would have been messy.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45467 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45467 Fri, 19 May 2006 12:52:59 -0600 His "MacGyver"-ness comes is handy in more than a few locations ...;) [emphasis mine] I'm thinking that covers the essentials... so to speak. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45450 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45450 Fri, 19 May 2006 06:35:44 -0600 Nothing beats the glossy OD 100mph tape for adherence, but the matte green comes close. The matte OD and regular grey duct tape are about equal. But I scored some HVAC special--aluminized--stuff a few years back that sticks like epoxy to anything except waxed paper. Only problem is, you need metal shears to cut it. I have a great fondness for the 3M folks--I had to make a night emergency landing at their (long-abandoned) industrial airstrip about thirty years ago. If it hadn't been where it was, I would have wound up in a frozen-over swamp. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45449 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45449 Fri, 19 May 2006 05:57:11 -0600 His "MacGyver"-ness comes in handy in more than a few locations...we'll just leave it at that ;) He picked up the nickname in college because of his ability to fix just about anything with minimal toolage. His Leatherman was his best friend for a LONG time and right after we got to this mid-sized turd in the middle of the Pacific, the car died on us in the parking lot of the PX. MacGyver got it running again with nothing more than a screwdriver and his Leatherman. He's quite handy... And he (and I) prefers 100 mph tape over duct tape any day. Holds up much better under a variety of conditions. However, I *do* like the way you think ;) - hfs http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45448 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45448 Thu, 18 May 2006 23:59:48 -0600 Ummm--would the sobriquet "MacGyver" have anything to do with it? *Not* thinking of any duct tape applications, of course. No, no, no, no, no. BTW, KtLW tagged me with that nickname, too--mostly because the Swiss Army knife I carry is the size of a Tom Clancy novel and I actually know how to use all the blades on the sucker... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45447 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45447 Thu, 18 May 2006 22:54:22 -0600 I knew there was a reason I married the man however, being able to answer questions like these wasn't the reason! ;) - hfs http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45444 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45444 Thu, 18 May 2006 20:35:50 -0600 Haversack? It's in North Jersey, where the Giants stuck their stadium. Jimmy Hoffa's buried under the home team goal post, btw. And under the refreshment stand on the mezzanine. And under the exit ramp going to the Kilmer rest area. And in the cranberry bog just outside of... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45430 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45430 Thu, 18 May 2006 13:51:35 -0600 Rats. When will I *ever* learn the difference between a thing-a-ma-bob and a doohickey? *sigh* At least I know what a haversack is. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45427 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45427 Thu, 18 May 2006 13:41:17 -0600 Geez, Bill. I don't think I've *ever* been quite *that* mean to the players 'round cheer. Right. What if I'd said, "Hey, anybody wanna see a bunch of pix of an expensive but totally worthless gear from a helicopter that was obsolescent in 1988?" *sitemeter cranking wildly into negative numbers* AFSis - Well, considering what we had to work with, I'd say we did pretty good. Yup--you're just gonna need some coaching on the terminology. Technically, it's not a gear-thing-a-ma-bob, it's a squashed-cog-looking-doohickey... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45425 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45425 Thu, 18 May 2006 13:28:43 -0600 Well, considering what we had to work with, I'd say we did pretty good. Several of us said it's a gear-thing-a-ma-bob, and that's pretty much what it is. Cool story Bill! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45411 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45411 Thu, 18 May 2006 08:38:26 -0600 Geez, Bill. I don't think I've *ever* been quite *that* mean to the players 'round cheer. That's like putting up a pic of a... that has... hmmmm. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45402 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/05/its_whatziss_not_whazzis_john_geez.html#comment-45402 Thu, 18 May 2006 06:45:07 -0600