Re: Remember "Bit-Slice" Chips ?

On Thu, 26 Dec 2024 12:44:57 +0100, D wrote:

Wow! Talk about a visionary! He took the logical step from everyone
owning a car, to everyone owning a plane! I would like to own a flying
car. Even a helicopter I would be content with! Imagine... then I could
build a _real_ fortress of solitude, far, far away from any public
roads!

Now there's a scary thought. When I was learning to fly a fixed wing the
person teaching me, an ag pilot with several thousand hours in the air,
was trying to tech himself to fly a helicopter. He was as frustrated as I
was. The motivation was to allow precise insecticide application rather
than the fly low and open the valves technique.

It was interesting but I realized there were practical problems. With only
VFR you were completely dependent on the weather. With IFR you had a
little more flexibility but you weren't going to keep schedules. The other
problem is after you fly to Oshkosh you find yourself at a small airfield
10 miles from town.

The light aircraft industry has had its dreams, particularly after WWII
with returning servicemen but they never worked out. The FAA came up with
a sport pilot license which only required a drivers license and not a
medical certificate and shorter training. It had limitations but the major
problem was a 1320 maximum takeoff weight. Most existing planes to make
that limit are Piper Cubs, Taylorcraft, Ercoupes, and other antiques,
often taildraggers for added excitement. Cessna 150s, Piper Tomahawks, and
other common training planes are too heavy. There are some new planes that
meet the requirements. Cessna tried with the 162, a cut down 152, but at
$150,000 it didn't sell.