In the era before digital (a.k.a. glass) cockpits, a face-full of instruments are the norm. As I constantly have to remind my students in lab classes, a machine is something that produces things (including movement) while instruments measure things.
Tag: Aviation
Blue Angels A-4
The new Sony camera and its drastically improved signal:noise meant the opportunity to capture the Aviation Museum of Kentucky freed from the constraints of tripods.
Cobra with Flag
From the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, this AH-1 Cobra was fortuitously placed relative to the flag.
Glider
The calm and gentle vibes of a broad and lightweight glider has a certain juxtaposition with the semi-sinister military-industrial implications of “Raytheon”.
Quadplane
The early stages of flight produced such remarkably fragile vehicles; when placed against the jet fighters of later periods, aircraft like this one look like insects.
Phantom
In a museum full of twentieth-century aircraft, this F-4 Phantom stood out for its enormous size.
Experimental… With Wood
When I think about experimental vehicles, I tend to think of hypermodern materials: carbon fiber composites and titanium alloys. This experimental seaplane at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, on the other hand, gets some serious mileage out of wood.
Engine
With the move to online classes, the availability of a cool Zoom background has become paramount. This jet engine has become my new go-to.
Kiowa Cockpit
My favorite aspect of visiting aviation museums as a kid was an opportunity to sit in decommissioned aircraft and work the controls. It turns out that’s still fun as an adult.
Enormous Nozzle, Enormous Thrust
Standing behind the F-14 Tomcat at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, the brain has a tough time comprehending just how enormous the nozzles on the hot side of the jet engines really are.20
Cobra in Profile
The sleek shape of the Cobra made it my favorite helicopter as a kid. (Every kid has a favorite helicopter… right?) A contrast is revealed with the maintenance panels opened and the complicated mechanical components of the powerplant on display.
At the Controls
The Aviation Museum of Kentucky has an OH-58 Kiowa into which visitors can climb.
Titanium Tomcat
Standing in front of an F-14 Tomcat “in the titanium” at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky was a pretty metal experience. I couldn’t resist humming “Danger Zone”.
