by Duncan Lunan When I gave Part 1, last week, as a talk in 1963 or 64 to the Scientific Society at my old school, repeated to the Ayr squadron of the […]
Rocket Aircraft, Part 2 – Wings into Space
Orkney’s Two Day Aviation Festival Starts Today
Sustainable Aviation Day Thursday 14th September and Friday “The Creation of Airline Services in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland: Impact and Legacy” Online Talks
Book Review: ‘Winkle, The Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot’
“In 1937, after his acceptance to study languages at Edinburgh University, Eric raised funds for his studies as a Speedway rider. His speciality was riding the Wall of Death carrying a full-grown lion, and when the RSPCA put a stop to it, he complained that nobody had asked the lion for his opinion.”
Piloting First: Postal Deliveries in Orkney by Drone
The electric multirotor DLV-2 drone, which has a payload capacity of 6kg and a range of up to 16km, was selected as vehicle of choice for the Orkney I-Port project due to its large payload volume, which makes it well suited to carrying cargo such as Royal Mail parcels. The aircraft is also equipped with a parachute. Image credit Skyports
The Miles M.52 and the Douglas Skyrocket
‘The aircraft was to be powered by a new jet engine specially developed for it by Frank Whittle. Eric Brown was chosen to be M.52 test pilot, “because I was the smallest man in the room”, he said ‘
Exploring Orkney’s Constitutional Future: Transport
You may be forgiven, if you do not live in Orkney, if you think that the only issue affecting the islands is that of FERRIES. And of course, they are very important, but Transport involves a lot more than that.
Celebrating Scapa Flow 2023
To mark the 90th anniversary of the first flight from Inverness to Kirkwall – 8th May 1933 – the longest running passenger air service in Europe and the 78th anniversary of the opening of the Churchill Barriers – 12th May 1945, Another Orkney Production (AOP) have a series of events, Celebrating Scapa Flow 2023.
Space Notes: Balloons in Space
“The greater thrust of rockets at altitude was harnessed in the ‘Rockoon’ experiments of the 1950s , culminating in Project Farside, where 4-stage solid rockets were launched through the carrier balloons at high altitude “
Space Notes by Duncan Lunan, Rotorcraft in Space
“There were joint studies by NASA and ESA for a Montgolfière hot-air balloon with a radioactive isotope power source, and NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts office added the Titan Aerial Daughtercraft (TAD), a small helicopter which would return periodically to the balloon to recharge its batteries”
Waverider, Part 2 – Flight in Nonterrestrial Atmospheres,
or, The Hang-Glider’s Guide to the Galaxy. VESSEL, designed by Duncan Lunan for Lance McLane by Sydney Jordan, Daily Record 1982-83
