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 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:00:26 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Well, since John started recycling my war stories under the "everything old is new again" premise, here's an old one that's new -- it never appeared in Flightfax because real life intruded before it got published. * * * * * * * * * * * Sometimes I think that every Army aviator old enough to remember reciprocating engines has a little tale about an emergency procedure that didn’t quite address the problem or had an emergency for which there was no written procedure. I met CW5 Roger W [those who know, know] (Flightfax, July 1998, “Crew Commo: UH-1... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:27:29 -0600 Bill, the Lord was obviously exercising his sense of humor, and playing with your head. And torturing Carborundum. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61234 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61234 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:15:09 -0600 The alternator's mounted on the right side of the tranny, slightly aft of the mast. Intake for the vents is located about six feet forward on the fuselage, just behind where the pilot's right arm would rest if the Cobra was a convertible. Ever known smoke to travel *against* a ninety mile-per-hour wind? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61209 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61209 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:13:47 -0600 Ah, but aircraft are designed by engineers, not physicists. The latter think about the Universe as they imagine it to be, the former have to deal with the Universe as it actually is, using messy approximations and empirical equations, sometimes with large fudge factors. Physicists, I think, sometimes forget that the Lord has a sense of humor. Engineers know that He does have one, and a low and nasty one it is. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61183 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61183 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:14:42 -0600 You simply reinforce my point, HFS! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61175 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61175 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:01:10 -0600 So are bumblebees, John. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61174 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61174 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:58:55 -0600 That's not such a stretch, Brab - helicopters are violations of the laws of physics. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61160 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61160 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:56:22 -0600 "in violation of the laws of physics" Maybe you were inhaling just a Leetle too much there, Bill! Just sayin. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61159 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/06/tins_smoke_gets.html#comment-61159 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:38:27 -0600