16:4216:42, 22 January 2016diffhist+62
Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge
The B-17 was retired a long time before the Korean War. Even the B-29 was becoming obsolete by that time. The only B-17s in Korea were a few SB-17 search and rescue planes used to drop lifeboats to downed aviators.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
20:4420:44, 11 January 2016diffhist+84
Beard
→Styles: Seems like Ambrose Burnside could be mentioned along with sideburns, since they're named after him.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
23:5723:57, 29 December 2015diffhist+221
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet
→Me 163A: The Me 163 could steer on landing; that's why the skid only supports the front of the fuselage. Once it collapsed on absorbing the impact, the tailwheel supported the weight of the tail and engine.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
21:5621:56, 28 December 2015diffhist+75
Heinkel He 70 Blitz
→Military use: Is it possible that the Spanish called it "rayo" for "lightning" because the Germans already called it "blitz" for "lightning", rather than both coincidentally coming up with the same named? I also wish people would avoid jargon like...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
21:3921:39, 28 December 2015diffhist−25
Heinkel He 178
→Significance: "430mph" for a Gloster Meteor? "No faster than piston engine fighters"? This is either vandalism or some is confusing it with the Bell prototype from the US. That aircraft barely broke 400mph, and was "barely faster than existing pist...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
05:0205:02, 28 December 2015diffhist+1,063
Jerry Rushing
Bootleg turn is just an extreme handbrake turn, and you don't have to defeat the ratchet mechanism in modern cars; you just hold the lock button on the handle down while pulling the handle up. In 1950's, the brake was usually an under-dash pull handle.Tag: Visual edit
05:3605:36, 27 December 2015diffhist+385
Bristol Beaufighter
Sleeve valves instead of poppet valves doesn't make all that much of a difference in sound levels when used on an unmuffled-exhaust aircraft engine with a spinning propeller. It's still darn loud. Added various links.Tag: Visual edit
05:1905:19, 27 December 2015diffhist+2,023
Bristol Beaufighter
"Apart from the powerplants, differences...were minor"? A completely redesigned and narrowed forward 2/3rds of the fuselage is "minor"? There were major alterations that aren't mentioned at all. Also, a number a/c besides the B-25 later got heavier guns.Tag: Visual edit
21:3921:39, 26 December 2015diffhist+244
Coining (mint)
All well and good, but what about HOW coins are made? What is "striking" a coin? Why assume that a person knows what that means? When did "medieval" change to "modern"? Which technique were they using in, say, 1800? Surely it wasn't exactly like striki...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
23:4223:42, 24 December 2015diffhist+1,548
Rolls-Royce Nene
The RD-45 didn't see much use at all; the VK-1 was the engine in the MiG-15bis, the most common variant by far, thus it's incorrect to say that it's most widespread use was as the RD-45. Also clarified the "straight-through design" bit.Tag: Visual edit
05:3105:31, 21 December 2015diffhist+772
Junkers Ju 52
It didn't "look like" a Townend ring, it WAS a Townend ring, and it was retained on the center engine after the wing engines got NACA cowls BECAUSE of the fact that the fuselage widened behind the center engine. Various other tweaks also.Tag: Visual edit
05:5105:51, 19 December 2015diffhist+1,676
MG 17 machine gun
Relation to MG 15, MG 30, etc, details, and the MG 131 didn't replace the MG 17 in "bomber defense" applications, since the MG 17 was only used as forward firing armament. MG 131 replaced both the MG 15 and 17.Tag: Visual edit
16:4216:42, 22 January 2016diffhist+62
Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge
The B-17 was retired a long time before the Korean War. Even the B-29 was becoming obsolete by that time. The only B-17s in Korea were a few SB-17 search and rescue planes used to drop lifeboats to downed aviators.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
20:4420:44, 11 January 2016diffhist+84
Beard
→Styles: Seems like Ambrose Burnside could be mentioned along with sideburns, since they're named after him.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
23:5723:57, 29 December 2015diffhist+221
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet
→Me 163A: The Me 163 could steer on landing; that's why the skid only supports the front of the fuselage. Once it collapsed on absorbing the impact, the tailwheel supported the weight of the tail and engine.Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
21:5621:56, 28 December 2015diffhist+75
Heinkel He 70 Blitz
→Military use: Is it possible that the Spanish called it "rayo" for "lightning" because the Germans already called it "blitz" for "lightning", rather than both coincidentally coming up with the same named? I also wish people would avoid jargon like...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
21:3921:39, 28 December 2015diffhist−25
Heinkel He 178
→Significance: "430mph" for a Gloster Meteor? "No faster than piston engine fighters"? This is either vandalism or some is confusing it with the Bell prototype from the US. That aircraft barely broke 400mph, and was "barely faster than existing pist...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
05:0205:02, 28 December 2015diffhist+1,063
Jerry Rushing
Bootleg turn is just an extreme handbrake turn, and you don't have to defeat the ratchet mechanism in modern cars; you just hold the lock button on the handle down while pulling the handle up. In 1950's, the brake was usually an under-dash pull handle.Tag: Visual edit
05:3605:36, 27 December 2015diffhist+385
Bristol Beaufighter
Sleeve valves instead of poppet valves doesn't make all that much of a difference in sound levels when used on an unmuffled-exhaust aircraft engine with a spinning propeller. It's still darn loud. Added various links.Tag: Visual edit
05:1905:19, 27 December 2015diffhist+2,023
Bristol Beaufighter
"Apart from the powerplants, differences...were minor"? A completely redesigned and narrowed forward 2/3rds of the fuselage is "minor"? There were major alterations that aren't mentioned at all. Also, a number a/c besides the B-25 later got heavier guns.Tag: Visual edit
21:3921:39, 26 December 2015diffhist+244
Coining (mint)
All well and good, but what about HOW coins are made? What is "striking" a coin? Why assume that a person knows what that means? When did "medieval" change to "modern"? Which technique were they using in, say, 1800? Surely it wasn't exactly like striki...Tags: Mobile editMobile web edit
23:4223:42, 24 December 2015diffhist+1,548
Rolls-Royce Nene
The RD-45 didn't see much use at all; the VK-1 was the engine in the MiG-15bis, the most common variant by far, thus it's incorrect to say that it's most widespread use was as the RD-45. Also clarified the "straight-through design" bit.Tag: Visual edit
05:3105:31, 21 December 2015diffhist+772
Junkers Ju 52
It didn't "look like" a Townend ring, it WAS a Townend ring, and it was retained on the center engine after the wing engines got NACA cowls BECAUSE of the fact that the fuselage widened behind the center engine. Various other tweaks also.Tag: Visual edit
05:5105:51, 19 December 2015diffhist+1,676
MG 17 machine gun
Relation to MG 15, MG 30, etc, details, and the MG 131 didn't replace the MG 17 in "bomber defense" applications, since the MG 17 was only used as forward firing armament. MG 131 replaced both the MG 15 and 17.Tag: Visual edit