So… what’s the date today…
Apr 012023
Mar 282023
The first US Aerospace Projects in *years* is now available. Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be
US VTOL Projects #3
US VTOL Projects #3 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #2 includes:
- Lockheed CL-579: An optionally-manned “communications satellite” for after WWIII
- Vanguard Model 18: A short range passenger transport from the 60s with slightly unusual wings
- Hiller STORC: A helicopter that could convert into a conventional aircraft for long-range ferry flights
- North American Rockwell NR-356 Sea Control Fighter: The design that led to the failed XFV-12A
- Bell D181: One of the first VTOL “assault transports”
- Hiller Anti-Submarine Warfare Drone Tailsitter: An unmanned pulsejet-powered torpedo-launcher
- Gates Twinjet: An ill-timed executive transport helicopter
- McDonnell Douglas VT107-4-4I: A short-range VTOL jetliner from the early 70s
While this issue covers the usual eight designs, note that it’s about 50% longer than similar, earlier issues. The delay in publication was due in large part to working on several book… and working on several books seems to have led me to be more verbose in my descriptions. So hopefully this means a better product!
USVP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $5.25:
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Mar 272023
Of all the professions I did not immediately expect AI to replace “toy designer” was not at the top of the list. But here we are… the best new stuff comes from the mind of a machine:
Fisher-Price’s prototype electric chair
by u/Ventorix in midjourney
Mar 252023
After a delay of several years, I’m back to working on my own little publications. Since the delay was caused by working on actual published *books,* I like to think that I’ve gotten a bit better. Thus the next issue of US VTOL projects has about twice the text of the prior issue, and the diagrams are a bit better. To get best use of the diagrams, I’m reviewing how they are being incorporated into the final text. The link below is a test PDF with four pages… each page has the same illustration, but with variations in resolution, line weight, etc. I’m interested in what looks “best.” So take a look and let me know which page – if any – looks best on screen, and if possible printed out.
Mar 242023
Season three of “Star Trek Picard” has been an astonishing breath of fresh “Star Trek.” After four dismal years of “Discovery” insulting the fandom and crapping on the legacy, and two hideous seasons of “Picard” that took a steamer on the character of “Picard,” season three, under new management, has really turned things around. And the latest episode goes so far as to wipe out the Discovery production design aesthetic.
There is a visit to the Star fleet Museum, showing a number of of ships on display. These include the Defiant from Deep Space Nine, Janeway’s Voyager, the NCC-1701-A Enterprise, the HMS Bounty whale hauler… and the USS New Jersey. This is a never before seen, probably never before mentioned ship. Which makes sense; doubtless Star Fleet has lots of ships worthy of keeping that never showed up in any prior episode or movie. But what makes the scene really special: all of these ships are, so far as I can tell, *exactly* what they should be in terms of design. The Bounty looks like a Klingon vessel from Star trek III and IV, not one of those gibberish ships from Discovery. The Enterprise, Voyager, Defiant are all quite correct. And the New Jersey? Take a look:
That’s a *proper* TOS-era Connie-class. Not like the sad spectacle of “Pikes” Enterprise from STD/SNW.
And there’s the fact that Worf looks like a Trek Klingon, not a nuTrek Klingork.
So, yeah. Picard ends with this season. But the powers that be will be *really* missing out if they don’t follow this up with a series that spins off of Picard Season Three… same production crew, same production aesthetic, same writers, same producers. They finally found people to work on Trek who actually *like* Trek.
Mar 212023
The one where a guy watches “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” for the first time and realizes its genius. He’s a hoot to watch along with.
FYI: First time I saw this was in a high school history class. I fell out of my chair – literally – laughing when the French flung the cow.
Mar 192023
Denzel Washington Is Poised to Sign On for Gladiator Sequel
There are as yet few details. Ridley Scott is on board as director, and the character “Lucius,” a child in the first movie, is returning as an adult.
But here’s the thing: “Gladiator” ended as something of an alternate history movie. Maximum killed the emperor Commodus in the Colosseum (unlike in reality where he was assassinated by a wrestler). It was implied fairly strongly that Maximus’s desire to see Rome restored to an emperor-less republic would be adhered to. I suspect that the sequel will simply gloss over those details and restore something like Roman history, emperors and all. Commodus died in 192AD; if the sequel takes place 25 years later in 217 AD, that would mean Marcus Opellius Macrinus would be emperor. That said… it would be interesting if they decided to run with the alternate history idea, Rome restored to a Republic. Twenty five years might be too few to make major changes in Rome… but maybe not. The possibilities are endless.
As unconventional as that approach might be, it’s nothing on the “Gladiator 2” that was originally pitched. That one saw Russel Crowe’s Maximus return as the main character… a neat trick given as he’s dead and all, but the script ran with it, throwing in the Roman gods sending dead Maximus on a mission to hunt down Jehovah. I highly doubt any studio would have *ever* approved such a wacky movie, but, hey, given the rapid advanced in AI, perhaps soon it will be made anyway.
Mar 192023
After watching these videos, I’m glad I passed on buying into the Mars Industries 1/18 scale “Airwolf” kit. There are a lot of problems with it. A *lot* of problems. There are design issues, uncured resin, quality control issues and, most shocking to me, problems with the vac-formed transparencies. The problem with *those* was that the forms were themselves 3D printed, which is fine… but the prints with their substantial layer lines were not sanded smooth. Thus the transparencies have layer lines. AAAARRRRGH.
Mar 182023
Heh.
Mar 172023
I’ve added some more things to my eBay: “Dynascott.” There are some new cyanotypes, some books, a piece of vintage NASA test equipment that I bought *years* ago to serve as a prop for The Alternate History Movie That Shall Not Be Named. Some cyanotypes I’ve had before; the photos are of the *actual* prints I’m selling. I have more cyanotypes and a lot more books to add soon, but this gets the ball rolling. I’ve included Buy It Now for them.
Large Convair “Super Hustler” Mach 4 bomber Cyanotype Blueprint
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NERVA nuclear rocket engine NASA model construction diagrams Cyanotype Blueprint
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Trident II SLBM Cyanotype Blueprint
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Vintage NASA Hydrogen Detector, General Monitors Model HP1000A
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Northrop B-2A stealth bomber Cyanotype Blueprint
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And some old listings that are still up:
Aerofax Minigraph #14 Lockheed F-94 Starfire by Francillon & Keaveney 1986
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Wasserfall German WWII Surface to air missile Cyanotype Blueprint
