"Pilot" magazine - early April Fool?

[CBLong]

This month's Flyer - and it's the March edition, not April - includes a feature on the people that a variety of aviation things were named after. In amongst the Bendix starter, Aresti notation, Fowler flaps etc there is the claim that the "vortex generator" was named after a Russian aerodynamicist named Viktor Vortex.

Am I alone in finding this extremely unlikely??

:) :)

cbl.

ooops - the magazine containg the quality journalism in question is actually Pilot, March 2004, not Flyer... thread title edited...

[mcmarkib]

May be wrong but was it not Viktor Schauberger?:confused:

[2Donkeys]

Are you sure that's Flyer you've got there?

I'm sure I saw that particular gem in one of the other quality piloting magazines.

[Sink Rate]

You read my mind. As soon as I read it (in Pilot magazine) I cracked up!

And then I began to wonder......

Surely not!

[Dewdrop]

Is Vortex not a common Russian name then?

[Rob_L]

Austrian.

Notice the screw up on the scarf ring replacing the Foster mount as well. Not a very well researched piece.

[CBLong]

Oops - yes, it was indeed Pilot, not Flyer, as I discovered on returning to my smallest room after posting yesterday... :)

I wouldn't have known about scarf rings and Foster mounts but the vortex generator thing is so obviously wrong I thought it must be a joke... but then I started doubting my sanity... thanks for the reassurance!

cbl.

[Sassenach]

They're either having a laugh or being extremely stupid. According to my Latin dictionary (I knew it would come in handy one day), "Vortex" is defined as whirlpool; whirlwind; the whirl of hair on the top of the head.

Sounds a bit more feasible than comrade Viktor...

[Dop]

I thought that was unlikely.
I also had my doubts about Sylvanus F. Bowser, too.

[Evo]

On September 5, 1885, the first gasoline pump was manufactured by Sylvanus F. Bowser of Ft. Wayne, Ind. and delivered to Jake D. Gumper, also of Ft. Wayne. The gasoline pump tank had marble valves and wooden plungers and had a capacity of one barrel.


So there you go! :)

[Rob_L]

I notice that the authors do not know who Foster was.
2 minutes research reveals that that Sergeant R.G Foster was serving with 11 Squadron when he designed the overwing machine gun mount which bears his name.

The scarf mount was a rotating gun mounting fitted over the observer/gunners cockpit.

[Unwell_Raptor]

It puts one in mind of Tom Lehrer's reference to Doctor Gall, who discovered the Gall Bladder.

[Pronto]

A bit off-topic I know, but there's an illustration of a Scarff Mount in an article on Bristol Fighters at http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/WWI/f2b/brisft_info/brisfit_info.htm

Pronto

[formationfoto]

A quick search and I can find no reference to said Russian. The team who have credit for this article are from the earlier PILOT days often trumpeted for their accuracy so I would be surprised if they had got this wrong unless it was deliberate!

[2Donkeys]

unless it was deliberate!

Shurley shome mishtake.

[ShyTorque]

I'm sure it's all correct.

Along with those famous Scandinavians, Serge Liatt and Boord Insteppes and very clever Germans, Herr Undar Carriage and Art E. Fischler-Reisen.

A Swiss chap apparently invented something that is now used on all aircraft for ground handling purposes. It was designed by Will Schocks, but just what it was escapes me for now.

A Scarff ring - from the old days of open cockpits...this was designed to rest their white silks on, to stop them flapping in the breeze and getting frayed at the end.

:E

[Trislander]

Maybe it was just a taster for next months april fools inventors edition. Perhaps the following 'famous inventors' will be featured:

Bernard Propeller

Tony Winglet

Larry Landing-Light

John Transponder.

:D

Tri

P.s. Is it just me or is Pilot becoming a more interesting read again these days?

[skydriller]

Tri,

To answer your PS, YES.... But not for the reasons the editors of said mag would like....:p :p

Regards, SD..